In June, four rowers and a coxswain went on an improbable run that was good for a second place finish at Youth Nationals Oak Ridge, Tenn., a first in their program’s history.
“It came as a total shock to our whole team,” said Jack Welsh, stroke for the St. Louis Rowing Club Spring 2011 boys’ four team. “We came out of Midwests having placed third in the region. We came out the first day [of Nationals] in the heats, posted the best time and then guys started thinking that maybe we could make a run in the grand final.”
At this weekend’s Head Of The Charles, the graduated members of the St. Louis Rowing Club silver medal team are reuniting along the water for the first time since taking the podium.
“These guys have been really successful,” said St. Louis Rowing Coach Andrew Black. “Three of the five from that team were all graduating and coming out east to row at schools where they were going to get together at the Head of the Charles, so it’s kind of a reunion this weekend.”
Welsh is now rowing for Yale, Jon Young for Harvard. Coxswain Diana Kwon is now the number one coxswain at Fordham University.
Coach Black said a new competitiveness grew between best friends as Welsh and Young, chose Yale and Harvard and began seeing themselves as future rivals.
“There was this rivalry, it was kind of fun to see,” said Black. “They are obviously old rival schools, but in terms of the lightweights they are very competitive.”
The rivalry grew stronger as the two watched from St. Louis as results from the of the collegiate season came in. Harvard’s lightweights beat Yale in the Eastern Spirits before losing to Yale at the IRAs.
“That was the peak of our rivalry at the St. Louis Rowing Club level,” said Young.
“It was totally just playful,” said Welsh. “When it started, neither of us had been on campus for more than just two days.”
The Welsh-Young friendship is likely to withstand a Harvard-Yale rivalry. At home, they attended different high schools and therefore had different classes, friends, teachers and lives off the water. But days rowing six laps of Creve Coeur Lake during practice gave them a bond that is likely to continue as they row for different crews in the years ahead.
“I talk to Jack all the time, but my only reason for contact with Jack is just to demoralize him,” said Young.
“I really like Jon, he’s a close friend. I wish him the best, but I want to beat him so bad,” said Welsh.
But they will watch each other’s races this weekend. And those of their former teammate too.