oneill

O'Neill high school's crew team competed in the Eastern N.Y. Public High School crew championships Sunday at West Point's South Dock. Here the OHS girl's 4-plus boat of Danielle Tocchet, (left), Teresa Nowak, Jenna Mumford, Karla Bayles and coxswain Ashley Duclos row to a third-place finish.

Amid a sun-splashed choppy day on the Hudson River Sunday the upstart James I. O’Neill High School crew team placed seventh overall out of nine schools in the Eastern New York Public High School crew championships at South Dock.

Began last year under the combined efforts of O’Neill H.S. chemistry teacher Mark Tatro and academy Col. Stas Preczewski the 31-member squad trained using the Army Caufield Crew and Sailing Center near South Dock and began competing this spring.

“(Last year) we didn’t have any boats, any oars, but we got the kids in the tanks,” coach Tatro said. “We took them out twice on the Army (crew) boats. All of those students came back this year and then some. Through donations, we now have two (8-man shells) and a 4 (man shell), a full set of oars and a trailer.

“We are official,” the OHS crew coach added proudly. “We have uniforms now and are also now a varsity sport at O’Neill. We are a full-fledged crew team.”

Tatro, in his second year of coaching, admittedly has a lot to learn about mentoring his squad, but uses the assets the academy provides to full advantage.

“We are lucky to be at West Point,” the 10-year crew enthusiast said. “West Point has one of the premier crew centers in the country, maybe in the world. This is where we get to work out of. We are really, really fortunate.”

Tatro, with help for the past two weeks from former Wellesley College and Olympic sprint rower Amanda Reed, takes the team out on the Hudson, when possible, six days a week. If the weather doesn’t cooperate the team heads into Caufield for training.

O’Neill, classified a B-sized team due to its student population, scored 14 total points in the finals Sunday behind Bayshore’s winning total of 44. Cold Spring was second with 40, with Newburgh Free Academy third at 39.

The top three Class A and top three Class B boats in each event qualified for the Finals.

In Class B competition O’Neill was third out of five schools posting 39 points to Poughkeepsie’s 54. Cold Spring was second at 49.

The boy’s 8-plus boat of Taylor Martini, Tamica Schubring, Sam Kemp, Scott Julich, Joe Miller, Steven Nowak, Hubbard Hoyt, Clayton Savoye and coxswain Katie McConnell settled for third place covering the 1,500 meter course two seconds behind the second place shell from Cold Spring and 24 seconds off the pace set by first-place Poughkeepsie.

The O’Neill boy’s 4-man boat of Kemp, Julich, Miller, Savoye and coxswain Maria Torres posted a third as well.

In girl’s Class B action the O’Neill 4-man boat of Teresa Nowak, Jenna Mumford, Karla Bayles, Danielle Tocchet and coxswain Ashley Duclos took first place edging Poughkeepsie for top honors.

“They have exceeded my expectations tremendously,” Tatro said about his team’s first competitive season to date.

In the team’s second meet the previous weekend his boy’s posted their first medals with twin third-place showings in the 8-plus and 4-plus boats versus local rivals NFA, Kingston and Warwick.

“I expect us to get better every year,” Tatro said. “This is our first year (of competition) and we have already medaled. That’s very unusual for a team to win medals in their first year.”

The cool weather this spring kept the O’Neill rowers in the Caufield center training more than they would have liked, according to Tatro.

“We ‘erged’ and worked in the tanks,” he said. “but there is no alternative to getting out on the water and practicing.”

Satisfied with his team’s improvement two weekends ago, Tatro was nearly speechless when describing Sunday’s success.

“We did fine (versus, NFA, Kingston and Warwick),” he said. “but then to come here and make the placings (at ENYSPHS) is beyond all expectations. They’ve done wonderfully.”

Tatro is facing the loss of his more experienced rowers due to graduation, yet he remains optimistic.

“The foundation is in place for the future of the team,” he said. I’m recruiting every day and my first question is, ‘Are you a senior?’ If they say, ‘No,’ I’m after them.”