Fast racing for Oakland Strokes at the US Rowing Southwest Youth Championships, bringing home 17 medals.

Gold River, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/16/2017 -- The Oakland Strokes finished their season with fast racing and multiple medals at the Southwest Youth Rowing Championship. Held at Lake Natoma near Folsom, this regatta draws high school participants from California and beyond, including as far as Arizona and Utah. The 2017 edition of the regatta hosted 38 clubs in 36 events in 3 days. It also serves as the qualification regatta for the National Youth Championship in Sarasota, Florida on June 9-11. The top 3 winners for the Varsity and Lightweight Men's and Women's events earn an invitation to compete at National Youth Championship Regatta.

The Lightweight Women's Eight led the way with a dominating performance, storming home to win their event by 9 seconds! That victory sends them to Youth Nationals along with the bronze medalist Women's Quad. The entire Women's Varsity squad had a great weekend, winning gold in the Second Varsity and Third Varsity Eights. The Fourth Varsity Eight won an unofficial championship by finishing as the top Fourth Varsity in the Third Varsity event.

The Varsity Men had a solid weekend, highlighted by the Third and Fourth Varsity Eights winning gold and bronze in the Third Varsity Event. That bronze medal also gives the Fourth Varsity 8+ an unofficial championship as the highest placing Fourth Varsity Eight. The rest of the Men's Varsity squad raced well, earning silver medals in the Men's Varsity 8+ and Men's JV8+. On the second day of the regatta the Varsity Men added a silver in the Lightweight 8+, a gold in the Men's 4-, and a bronze in the Men's Varsity 4+. These placings give coach Brian de Regt many options to send athletes to the Youth National Championships.

The Women's Novice squad ended their season strongly, winning gold in the Novice 4+ event. The Novice Eight added a hard fought bronze medal. The squad showed their depth by placing crews into the Grand Finals in all of the events in which they competed, a rare feat at this tough regatta.

The Men's Novice squad raced hard all weekend and brought home a silver medal in the Novice Eight and Four, as well as bronze medals in the Second Novice Eight and Freshman Eight events.

The Oakland Strokes rowing club welcomes middle and high school students from across the Bay Area. Nationally recognized college coaches seek our rowers based on the strength of our community and our passion for instilling the best values of rowing. Our goal is to build character and commitment by providing youth rowing for students of all backgrounds the opportunity to be a part of the team. Oakland Strokes offers summer learn-to-row camps for middle and high school students.

More information can be found at http://www.OaklandStrokes.org.

Full List of Medalists:

GOLD:
Women's Lightweight 8+
Women's Second Varsity 8+
Women's Third Varsity 8+
Men's Third Varsity 8+
Men's Open 4-
Women's Novice 4+

SILVER:
Men's Varsity 8+
Men's Lightweight 8+
Men's Second Varsity 8+
Men's Novice 8+
Men's Novice 4+

BRONZE:
Women's Varsity 4x
Men's Fourth Varsity 8+ (in 3V event)
Men's Varsity 4+
Women's Novice 8+
Men's Freshman 8+
Men's Second Novice 8+

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Varsity Women Place 5th Overall

Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/04/2016 -- The Oakland Strokes youth rowing club men's varsity eight won gold at The Head of The Charles Regatta in Boston while the women's varsity eight took 5th place on Sunday, October 23, 2016.

The Oakland Strokes varsity men braved extremely windy and cold weather to win the regatta for the second time in the past three years. The men beat their regional rivals and defending champions Marin Rowing Association in a strong field of crews that featured 84 crews. Varsity Men's Head Coach Brian de Regt credited the crew for their performance, saying, "We are very pleased with how the boys responded to the conditions and competition. The year is just beginning but it's encouraging to have a positive result so early in the process. This is a young group and we're looking forward to watching how they move forward from here."

The Oakland Strokes women also had a strong race, fighting the conditions to pass the crew from Mercer Rowing Club on their way to a 5th place showing. The crew fared well against another strong field of 85 crews representing the fastest teams from the country. Interim Varsity Women's Head Coach Anita Sarrett highlighted the strength of her crew, noting, "Racing at the Head of the Charles is always a great opportunity to see how we stack up against teams from all over the country as well as overseas. The girls stepped up to the challenge of racing in difficult conditions and to place top 5 in such a deep field is a very exciting result. I was impressed with the maturity and toughness with which the Charles 8+ attacked the training and race day and we are looking forward to building on this result for our remaining fall races."

About The Head of The Charles
The Head of The Charles is one of the world's preeminent rowing competitions, featuring races for U.S. and international rowers of all ages and abilities. This year marked the 52nd running of the race, which is the largest two day rowing regatta in the world. The 2016 Regatta attracted over 10,000 competitors from 28 different countries, including 30 gold medalists from the Rio Olympics.

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California's Premier Rowing Club Wins Men's Varsity 8+ Gold, Men's Lightweight 8+ Silver, and Women's Varsity 4+ Gold

Oakland, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/13/2016 -- Once again, the Oakland Strokes men and women left it all on the water at the US Rowing Youth National Championships in West Windsor New Jersey, winning two gold medals and one silver medal. Originally scheduled to be held over three days, high winds caused the regatta to be shortened to two days, with the semi-finals and grand finals on the same day. Oakland Strokes athletes rose to the challenge and put in one of the best team performances of the regatta.

Women's Varsity 4+ Gold Medal Win By Open Water
First down the course came the Women's Varsity Four, who won their race in dominating fashion with open water on their closest rivals, River City Rowing Club in second, and Boston's Windsor School in third. "This amazing effort caps of a fantastic run by the Oakland Strokes Varsity Women, who trained hard to gain speed," said Women's Varsity Head Coach, Allison Ray. "We could not be more proud of the entire Women's Varsity team."

The Women's Varsity 4+ Boat, Shown From Left: Shown From Left: Coach Allison Ray, Jill Lundstrum, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (4-seat), Megan Cvitanovic, Alameda High, Alameda, CA (3-seat), Caroline Ricksen, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (Coxswain), Riley Eversole, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (2-seat), Limor Dubrovsky, Acalanes High, Lafayette, CA (1-seat) and Coach Anita Sarrett.

Men's Lightweight 8+ Silver Medal
Oakland Strokes Men's Lightweight eight, raced hard against an extremely tight field to win a silver medal. First in the race was Miami's Belen Jesuit Prep School, and third was Boston's Community Rowing. The lightweights were another crew who fought to gain speed since Southwest Regionals, having added two first year rowers to the boat. "The silver medal was hard fought," noted their coach, Alan Kush, "We're looking for increasingly impressive performance from this boat in the future."

The Men's Lightweight 8+ Boat, Shown From Left: Shown From Left: Men's Varsity Assistant Coach Alan Kush, Kai Hoite, Berkeley High, Berkeley, CA (8-seat), Jack Woll, Walnut Creek, CA (7-seat), Drew Barber, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (6-seat), Calvin McDonald, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (5-seat), Ben Foos, Amador Valley High, Pleasanton, CA (Coxswain), Arren De Los Santos, Saint Joseph Notre Dame High, Alameda, CA (4-seat), Bobby Costa, Montavista High, Alamo, CA (3-seat), Brandon Smith, Alameda High, Alameda, CA (2-seat), Jason Sun, Piedmont, CA (1-seat), Calum McLaren, Men's Varsity Assistant Coach Bert Harney, Head Boys Coach Brian de Regt.

Men's Varsity 8+ Gold Medal
The Men's Varsity eight was the last crew down the course, driving hard to defend their title after winning the Varsity eight in 2015. The men showed their class over the 2000 meter course, pulling out to a boat length advantage over second place Marin Rowing Association and third place Sarasota (Sarasota, FL). "This capped an undefeated season for our Men's Varsity Eight," noted Men's Varsity Head Coach Brian de Regt, "These achievements are what come from the commitment and hard work put forth by each and every member of the Oakland Strokes Team."

The Men's Varsity 8+ Boat, Shown From Left: Men's Varsity Assistant Coach Bert Harney, Men's Varsity Assistant Coach Alan Kush, Kenny Padden, Montavista High, Danville, CA (1-seat), Abe Hill of Berkeley High, Berkeley, CA (2-seat), Brendan Purtill, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (3-seat), Michael Cuellar, Saint Joseph Notra Dame High, Alameda, CA (4-seat), Ben Garrison, Burlingame High, Hillsboro, CA (Coxswain), Cole Ortiz, Campolindo High, Lafayette, CA (5-seat), Nikita Lilichenko, Miramonte High, Orinda, CA (6-seat), Rhys Daniel, Piedmont High, Piedmont, CA (7-seat), Connor Olson, Granada High, Livermore, CA (8-seat), Head Boys Coach Brian de Regt

About Oakland Strokes
Established in 1974, the Oakland Strokes rowing club welcomes middle and high school students from across the Bay Area to our youth rowing club on the Oakland Estuary. Nationally recognized college coaches seek our rowers based on the strength of our community and our passion for instilling the best values of rowing. Yes, we make boats go fast, but our larger goal is to build character and commitment in the young men and women of Oakland Strokes. Our mission is to provide youth rowing for students of all backgrounds the opportunity to learn to row and ultimately compete at a national level, in an environment that nurtures development of character, strength of commitment and passion for excellence.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm