Emily Tierney '25 of the Blair girls' crew team was recently named to the U19 National Rowing Team. The junior was one of 52 rowers selected to represent the United States in Paris, France next month at the 2023 World Rowing U19 Championships.
Girls' Crew
Varsity
- Overview
- Schedule
- Roster
- Meet the Coaches
- Team News
- Photos
- Past Results
- Notable Alumni
- Crew Training Center
Overview
MAPL CHAMPS
2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023
Congratulations to the Girls' Crew 1V boat on winning the 2023 Stotesbury Senior Four event!
Blair Girls' Crew FAQs
The following questions and answers are intended to share information about Blair crew; the questions presented are the ones raised most often by prospective students who are considering rowing in the spring.
When does the crew season begin and end?
Crew is mainly a spring sport beginning at the end of February on campus with the regular season ending in the middle of May. We have a smaller Fall Program designed to give our more experienced athletes a chance to practice their skills in singles, one of the most technical boats in our sport. Furthermore, we have a winter season designed to develop athletes who are trying to compete in the top boats and, but our main season begins with our spring trip to Austin, Texas. We end after the Stotesbury Regatta, although select crews may compete at the SRAA National Championships and USRowing Youth Nationals.
Is experience necessary?
Most of the students who join Blair crew have little or no experience prior to their first season. One of the best parts about the sport of rowing is the existence of a separate 'novice' category of racing, for those who have never rowed before. While some first-year athletes are skilled enough to compete for varsity seats, every first-year rower is guaranteed a race against other novice opponents. All students interested in rowing, regardless of experience, are encouraged to fill out the Prospective Student Questionnaire.
What is the general make-up of the team?
The team comprises two groups: novice girls, and varsity girls. We have roughly 30 athletes combined in a given year.
Where do you practice?
We have an indoor training room located in the main gymnasium on campus, in NJ, and we will soon move into our own rowing center on Park Street where we will have our own eight-person scull/sweep tank. We use land-based rowing machines (Concept 2 Static and Concept 2 Dynamics) to teach basic stroke technique and to increase strength and fitness. In the winter, we also have access to our school’s weight room, which we take advantage of two times per week. Our outdoor facility is located on Lake Paulinskill, which is about a 15-minute bus ride from campus.
When do we practice?
We practice after classes each day. In the fall and spring, the team meets at the buses and heads out to the river. Practice runs until dinnertime. In the winter, we practice on campus.
How long are the workouts?
The team works out five days a week for two hours each day. One day each week, we race against opponents in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and throughout the Northeast. Basically, we expect the team to row six days a week.
Are there any morning workouts?
No.
How many races occur during the season?
Generally, we have eight competitions during the spring season. If you are part of the novice team, you will race in five to six of these events; as a varsity member, you will race in as many as possible. A successful regular season will earn the opportunity to race at SRAAs and USRowing Youth Nationals.
What types of championship regattas are possible?
Blair crew attends the Mercer Sprints Regatta, SRAA Garden States Regatta, the Cooper Cup, and the Mid-Atlantic Championships. In addition, the members of the MAPL hold a championship race near the end of the spring. The Blair crew season culminates at the Stotesbury Regatta, where we race against the very best crews from all over the United States and Canada. The top finishers at these regattas have the possibility of continuing at SRAA Scholastic Nationals as well as USRowing Youth Nationals in June.
Why row?
It’s a total experience that immerses you. Here are just a few more reasons:
Rowers are the toughest, most determined athletes you will meet!
-
Rowing is for EVERYONE. Your height and size don't matter. If you are interested in us, we are interested in you.
-
It does not matter if you have never played sports before or have never heard of rowing; we will teach you everything you need to know.
-
Rowing works all muscle groups. It is a sport that demands endurance, strength and skill.
-
It requires consummate teamwork and mental toughness.
-
Many universities offer scholarships for women’s rowing. Rowing is a growing sport on college campuses.
-
Blair crew has FUN. We feel that by rowing, you become not just a better athlete, but a better student and person as well.
-
The team experience forms very close friendships and helps everyone grow dramatically as people. You learn a sense of responsibility toward your boat mates and team, and this transfers to all aspects of life.
Schedule
View directions to athletic events. To read recaps about past events, go to the "Team News" tab above.
Opponent | Date | Time | Advantage | Result | Score | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vs.
Peddie
|
|
|
Away | |||
Intrasquad Scrimmage
|
|
|
Home | |||
vs.
Hill School
|
|
|
Home | CANCELLED | ||
Mercer Sprints
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Mercer Sprints
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Garden States
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Cooper Cup
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
MAPLs @ Mercer Lake
|
|
|
Away | |||
Mid-Atlantics
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Mid-Atlantics
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Stotesbury
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Stotesbury
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Scholastics, TN
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Scholastics, TN
|
|
TBD
|
Away |
Roster
Meet the Coaches
Meet Coach Redos
John Redos ’09 holds a bachelor of science in communication from Cornell University (2013) and a master in sociology from the University of Oxford (2014). He returns to his alma mater as a member of the English faculty and head girls’ rowing coach. John’s teaching career has taken him to Oxford, where he taught psychology and English at Greene’s Tutorial College, and to Montenegro, where he taught at University of Montenegro and coordinated teacher education workshops and seminars as a Fulbright Grant Finalist. He also worked for a year as a research assistant at Harvard's Graduate School of Education investigating the social aspects of teacher and student interactions.
John brings 12 years of rowing experience to Blair Academy. He began his rowing career at Blair during his sophomore year. At Blair, he medaled at the Stotesbury Regatta in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. After he and his teammates achieved gold in the Senior 4+ at Stotesbury in 2008, his crew was the first Blair boat to ever attend the USRowing Youth National Championships where they achieved a silver medal in the Open 4+ event.
After Blair, John was recruited to Cornell University, where he rowed Division I for their Varsity Lightweights for four years. At Cornell, his freshman crew achieved gold at the 2010 Eastern Sprints Regatta. Following his freshman year, John achieved varsity letters in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. While at Cornell, John represented the United States as a member of the U23 National Team in 2010 and 2012 in the Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls. Upon graduating Cornell, John transitioned to openweight and rowed for Taurus Boat Club (UK) at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2013, where his crew made it to the semi-finals in the Brittania Challenge Cup. John finished his rowing career in Oxford, where he rowed openweight for Oxford University Boat Club. He sat bow in the winning Isis crew at the 2014 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races. Following the Boat Race, John returned to Oriel College, University of Oxford and helped his crew achieve Head of the River at Summer Eights, a race originating in 1815.
John transitioned into coaching by serving as the head men’s rowing coach at Keble College, University of Oxford for three years. During his time at Keble, John and his assistant coach built the team from five rowers and one coxswain into a team of five competitive eights that trained three seasons during the academic year. In his first season, John helped enable the club to post its most successful season in over 40 years.
John is married to Dr. Suzana Markolovic, Blair science teacher, cross country coach and track coach.
Contact Coach Redos at redosj@blair.edu for any questions.
Meet Coach Gardner
Annie Gardner joins Blair as a girls' crew coach and a faculty member in the English department. As an undergrad at Dartmouth, she rowed four years on their crew team, serving as team captain her junior and senior years. After Dartmouth, Annie was the head girls' varsity coach at the Austin Rowing Club for three years, running the juniors program and working closely with a team of coaches to build a positive and empowering culture for athletes. She built a competitive program qualifying for Nationals each spring. In addition to her extensive rowing experience, Mrs. Gardner has her 200 hour yoga teaching certification and is a crossfit level 1 certified trainer. She is passionate about movement as medicine and the ability of the body to grow, heal, and strengthen, which are key components for rowers. She and her fiancé, Steve, reside at Lake House, which is adjacent to the Siegel Property.
Meet Coach Hoyer
Crew coach and college counselor Molly Hoyer joined Blair's faculty as an English teacher in 2018 after earning a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College in Comparative Literature, with a focus on French and Arabic language in North African literature. After starting as a novice on the rowing team in the fall of her first year, Molly went on to row for the next four years. She competed in the team's first varsity eight at each NCAA Division III championship, including the varsity eight that won the NCAA Division III championship in 2016. Molly teaches English 2 and 3, and in addition to coaching rowing, will be the assistant coach for the JV field hockey team in the fall; she serves as the Housemaster of South Cottage.
Team News
News & Recaps
The Blair rowing team had a historic weekend in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at SRAA Nationals. It marked the first occasion in Blair rowing history where the team brought both girls’ and boys’ crew to the event.
It was a great week for Blair Rowing at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia. The girls senior four took the gold medal in a field of 46 crews entered. This marks the second year in a row they have captured the Airley Cup, and are the first team to go back-to-back since 2009.
Photos
Past Results
Spring 2022
Opponent | Date | Time | Advantage | Result | Score | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battle of the Blades vs. Peddie
|
|
|
Away | Win | Win | |
vs.
Hill School
|
|
|
Home | POSTPONED: TBD | ||
Mercer Sprints
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Mercer Sprints
|
|
TBD
|
Away | Win | 3rd | |
Garden State Championships
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Cooper Cup
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
MAPLS
|
|
All Day
|
Away | |||
Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Stotesbury Cup Regatta
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Scholastic Nationals
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Scholastic Nationals
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
U17/U15 Nationals
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
USRowing Youth Nationals
|
|
TBD
|
Away |
Spring 2019
Opponent | Date | Time | Advantage | Result | Score | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vs.
Hill School
|
|
|
Home | Win | 3-0 | |
Mercer Lake Sprints
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Garden Scholastics @ Camden County Boathouse
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
MAPLs @ Mercer Lake
|
|
|
Away | 2nd Place | ||
Mid-Atlantic Junior Regionals
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Mid-Atlantic Junior Regionals
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
Stotesbury Cup Regatta
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
TBD - Scholastic Nationals (SRAAs) - Ohio
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
TBD - USRowing U17 Nationals - New Jersey
|
|
TBD
|
Away | |||
TBD - USRowing Youth Nationals - Florida
|
|
TBD
|
Away |
Spring 2018
Spring 2017
Notable Alumni
Rowers who competed internationally
Ava Gamble '21
U23 USA National Team, 2022
Petra Csanyi '22
U19 Hungarian National Team, 2022
U23 Hungarian National Team, 2023
Emily Tierney '25
U19 USA National Team, 2023
Year | Name | School |
---|---|---|
2003 | Joanna Weber | Villanova University |
2003 | Lauren Williams | Brown University |
2003 | Christine Geiser | Yale University |
2003 | Lauren Willis | Georgetown University |
2005 | Lauren Anderson | Villanova University |
2005 | Claire (McConnell) Noel | Dartmouth College |
2005 | Lia Simeone | George Washington University |
2006 | Lauren Weinstein | Bucknell University |
2007 | Allison (Martens) Eisenhauer | Bucknell University |
2008 | Tallarie Thurgood | Hobart and William Smith Colleges |
2010 | Rebecca (Litvin) Marcus | Columbia University |
2010 | Laura (Baumgartner) Smith | Duke University |
2011 | Maggie Hoffman | Union College |
2011 | Jessica Tatham | Bucknell University |
2012 | Jane McConnell | Duke University |
2012 | Bridgit Reeve | Lafayette College |
2012 | Cat Miller | Lafayette College |
2013 | Anna Kalfaian | Princeton University |
2014 | Annika Rollock | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
2015 | Shannon Tierney | Duke University |
2017 | Catherine Berry-Toon | Bates College |
2019 | Caeley Tierney | Duke University |
2020 | Cam Bentley | University of Virginia |
2020 | Ariel Cobb | Columbia University |
2020 | Elizabeth Montfort | University of St. Andrews |
2020 | Camille Williams | University of Virginia |
2021 | Grace Higgins | Southern Methodist University |
2021 | Olivia Mohlmann | Colgate University |
2021 | Ava Gamble | Boston University |
2022 | Dylan Bentley | University of Virginia |
2022 | Petra Csanyi | University of Miami |
2022 | Isa Dugan | Navy |
2022 | Peyton Schreiber | Lafayette College |
2022 | Hannah Bazylevsky | Lafayette College |
2023 | Katherine Holmes | Colgate University |
2023 | Sami Goldman | University of Virginia |
Crew Training Center
With construction completed in 2021, the Crew Training Center is the latest campus enhancement to be completed as part of Blair’s 2018-2025 Strategic Plan, All In. The Center (formerly the Park Street maker space), is a state-of-the-art facility especially designed and constructed to facilitate training over the winter months. It features dedicated weight- and ergometer-training areas, as well as an eight-seat sweep/sculling tank. This new facility, along with the J. Li Golf Training Center and winter sports complex, reflects Blair’s continuing commitment to provide student-athletes with the resources, equipment and support necessary to excel at the highest levels. Blair is only one of a handful of high schools in the United States to offer such a training center, highlighting how the School is prioritizing the growth of its rowing program.