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Panthers, Terriers Win Titles

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY nmurray@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 5, 2008

Plant High's Girls varsity 8 and Hillsborough's Katie Burke each took championships at the Head of the Hooch Rowing Regatta in Chattanooga, Tenn., last weekend to cap a successful fall season.

Plant's crew of Molly Hamrick, Luisa Isbell, Aubrey Larson, Taylor Athan, Garrison Hodges, Parker Hodges, Elisabeth Murray, Christianne Biggane and cox Ashley Bennett won the Women's Youth 8 with a time of 17 minutes, 46.4 seconds, seven seconds ahead of Atomic Rowing from Knoxville, Tenn., while the Panthers' junior varsity finished 14th in a time of 19:05.7. Panthers coach Skye Elliott said he was happy with the varsity crew's performance, but thought the performance of the Panthers' junior varsity crew was an indicator of where the Panthers were as a team

"We did well," Elliott said. "The junior varsity, I was really excited about the JV, because they were where our varsity used to be. They came in top 15, which has never happened. That was very exciting as well."

Plant's varsity finished fourth at the regatta in 2007 with a time of 19:23.1, while its junior varsity finished 25th. Elliott said that while the team tries to separate its fall and spring seasons, the team was very excited by its performances in Tennessee.

"We try to take each season one season at a time," Elliott said. "We think that this regatta brings a level of excitement to the team. I think they're excited about the possibility of what we can do in the spring. I think it gets them energized for training through the winter that will allow them to really push forward to the spring, and I think it makes us feel we can compete with the best of the teams in the southeast."

After reaching the final at scholastic nationals earlier in 2008, Elliott said his team was looking forward to the opportunity to create more history for the program.

"We're really looking forward to seeing if we can reach some more milestones in the program's history," Elliott said. "After the spring we had last season, I think we're really looking to see if we can do something we've never done before."

With her title, Burke did something she had done before, defending the title she had won in her first competitive single sculls a year ago. Burke, who competed for the U.S Rowing High Performance team earlier this year, won in a time of 21.40.4, edging out Hillary Schmidt of Berkeley Prep by three seconds. Kiersten DeHaven of the Academy of Holy Names finished fifth in 22:46.9.

For Burke, the experience of being the defending champion as opposed to a new challenger was an interesting one.

"There was definitely more pressure this time," Burke said. "Last year was my first race, I'd never done a single, so I was 'Well, I'll see how I do.' Going back as the defending champ, it definitely means a lot to win it. It's very exciting."

Burke was also part of the Terriers' varsity 8, which finished eighth in a time of 18:40.3. Burke said for the crew to earn its first top-10 finish was a big achievement.

"We were really happy," Burke said. "Last year I think we were 14th or something. We thought it was our best race of the season, and some of the stuff we were working on really came together, so as a whole we were very happy with our performance. We've improved a lot from last year."

Elsewhere at the meet, Hillsborough's lightweight boys 8 finished 10th, while Plant's boys varsity 8 finished 11th and its novice 8 17th. Tampa Prep's girls varsity 4 took 14th ahead of Hillsborough, which took 17th. Raphael Blanco of Berkeley Prep finished 15th in the boys single sculls, just ahead of Jason Holleran of Hillsborough.

Defense A Key For Bloomingdale

BRANDON - Bloomingdale moved to 3-1 and fourth place in the Hillsborough High School Hockey League after a 7-0 win against Newsome White. In the process, the Bulls continued the role its defense has played in getting to that point.

The Bulls have given up only five goals in four games, including the shutout by Brad Martin in his first appearance of the season against the Wolves. Jordan Kruger played the Bulls first three games of the season, and has a 2-1 record with a 1.65 goals against average.

Bloomingdale coach Mike Falbo said both goalies are as good as each other thanks to their development in youth travel hockey.

"We have two of the best goaltenders in the league," Falbo said. "The team knows they can make a mistake and not worry about it. Both goaltenders will bail us out, so we don't have to worry about making a mistake."

Kruger, who is playing his first year for the Bulls, thinks the team's younger players have developed quickly.

"They're really starting to come along, it's great," Kruger said. "I see them develop as better hockey players in practice, and it shows up in the games."

The experienced head the Bulls have on the blue line is Cody O'Conner, who had provided stability while being able to lead the rush into the offensive zone.

"Cody's dominates, and Cody can dominate this league," Falbo said. "He gives us a lot of leeway to where we can and can't go."

Falbo thinks the way his team is built will give them a chance to be one of the league's better teams this season.

"Everybody builds from the back, that's how good teams are built," Falbo said. "We have two good goaltenders, and that's been lacking the last couple of years."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243

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