DUC Boats Shine at White Rock Regatta

At last weekend’s Texas Rowing Championships, Dallas United Crew focused on Eights and Fours races, earning gold or silver in six events for a combined 72 medals awarded.

First up: Gold for DUC’s Women’s Four, led by seniors Ellie Rodriguez, Abby Fowler, and Alaina Ruggiero. DUC’s First Eight took silver behind Austin’s Texas Rowing Center, and DUC’s U17 women earned another silver behind White Rock Rowing.

In the Men’s Varsity Eights, DUC took gold in every event. Regatta host WRR was the only other club competing. In the First Eights race, WRR took a lead early, but DUC went on to win the race over its cross-lake rivals by open water.

The senior quartet of Archer Smith, Sam Tharp, Peyton Lewis, and coxswain Caroline Craycroft led a crew that included five sophomores.

The Men’s Second Varsity Eights contest was particularly close. WRR held a half-length lead through the first 1,500 meters, but DUC pushed past WRR in the final strokes of the race. Then DUC’s Mens (U17) Eight edged out WRR by four seats over the last 250 meters.

Northerly, gusting winds made for fast times on the course, and sustained surface chop challenged the set and sync of the boats. Despite these conditions, DUC’s (U15) Women’s and Men’s Quadruple crews took gold in this first-ever event.

Such closely contested races beckon fans to USRowing’s Central Region Championship on May 7-8 in Oklahoma City, which is a qualifier for USRowing’s Youth National Championship. There, DUC and WRR will face Jesuit Crew, winner of the Men’s Varsity Eight regional titles since 2017.