Oak Ridge Today

Atomic Rowing pair finishes 11th in USRowing Youth National Championships

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An Atomic Rowing team finished 11th in the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, from June 6-9, 2019. The women’s lightweight double consisted of Sara Kate White, a sophomore at Maryville High School, and Veda Seay, a senior at Oak Ridge High School. (Photo courtesy Rachel Seay)

An Atomic Rowing team finished 11th in the nation at youth championships in Florida this month.

The women’s lightweight double consisted of Veda Seay, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, and Sara Kate White, a sophomore at Maryville High School. They competed in the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, from June 6-9.

Seay and White had a fantastic weekend of racing, a press release said. Their boat placed 12th in time trials on Thursday, June 6, with a time of 7:29.200. Only the top nine teams advanced to semifinals, and the rest competed in a second-chance repechage.

Seay and White went on to win their repechage race on Friday, June 7, to advance to semifinals with a time of 7:47.576, beating a PNRA/Mercer team by about two seconds.

[Read more…]

Fisher, an ORHS graduate, competes in world rowing championships this week

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Local rower Kristopher Fisher participates in a signing ceremony with Temple University at Oak Ridge High School on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Local rower Kristopher Fisher participates in a signing ceremony with Temple University at Oak Ridge High School on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Local rower Kristopher Fisher, who attended Oak Ridge High School last year and signed with Temple University in February, will compete in world rowing championships in the Czech Republic this week.

Fisher and Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana, will race in the Junior Men’s Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Junior Championships, which are scheduled from August 8-12 in Racice, outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. (You can see the start list here and the Heat 2 start list for Wednesday here.) More than 750 athletes from 57 nations are competing.

Fisher and Tuckerman swept the Men’s U19 2x at the USRowing National Team Trials in July, winning the best-of-three format handily with victories in both the first and second event, according to the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

On July 5, Fisher and Tuckerman were tightly matched by Jeremy Wolpert of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Michael Fairley of Saratoga Springs, New York, through the first 500 meters before pulling away in the middle 1,000, finishing in 6:56.41. The second place pair finished well back in 7:08.03. [Read more…]

Six senior athletes honored during National Signing Day at ORHS

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Tee-Higgins-National-Signing-Day-2-Feb-1-2017-Web

Surrounded by family members and school officials, Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins signs to play football at Clemson University at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Six senior athletes at Oak Ridge High School were honored during National Signing Day at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday.

The six athletes, their sports, and the schools they will attend are:

  • Jake Etheridge—cross country, University of Tennessee in Chattanooga;
  • Alex Sherles—vollebyall, East Tennessee State University;
  • David Dunn—rowing, Stanford University;
  • Leah Scudder—soccer, Erskine College;
  • Kyndall Clark—football, Gardner-Webb University; and
  • Tee Higgins—football, Clemson University.

National Signing Day is the first day that high school seniors can sign a binding letter of intent with NCAA schools, ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins said. [Read more…]

Local rower Mike Schay takes gold at Masters Nationals

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Mike Schay

Michael Schay, an Oak Ridge resident who rows out of the Oak Ridge Rowing Association boathouse, competed in the 2016 USRowing Masters National Championships in Worcester, Massachusetts, from Aug. 18-20, 2016, and he won gold medals in the Men’s F1x, Men’s E4x, and Men’s F4x. (Submitted photo)

 

By Evelyn Radford

Oak Ridge resident Michael Schay is making a big splash in the rowing community.

Accompanied by his wife and training partner Nancy, Mike rows out of the Oak Ridge Rowing Association boathouse, competing under the name of “Atomic.”

The couple recently traveled to Worcester, Massachusetts, to compete in the 2016 USRowing Masters National Championships. Unlike the flat waters of Melton Hill Lake that Mike is accustomed to, Lake Quinsigamond, the body of water where the 1,000-meter head-to-head races were held, is known for its hazardous conditions and constant choppy water.

Yet if you know anything about Mike, you know that when he puts his mind to something, he intends to accomplish it. Mike ended up sweeping almost every single event, advancing through heats to win gold medals in the Men’s F1x, Men’s E4x, and Men’s F4x. [Read more…]

New rowing coach resigns

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

The head coach hired in August has resigned from the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

Coach Marc DeRose, who was also rowing director, has concluded that this was “not the right fit for me and my family,” a Friday afternoon press release said.

The release said a team of veteran ORRA leaders has moved into new roles within the organization. The new team management approach started after the resignation of DeRose, who replaced longtime head coach Allen Eubanks late last summer.

“We wish Marc and his family all the luck in the world,” ORRA President Terry Holley said. “We’re fortunate to have so many outstanding individuals ready to step in and make sure we don’t skip a beat. We may be nearing the end of the season, but we have no doubt we will finish strong.”

In the meantime, the work is being divided into four distinct areas, each with a key person in charge, the release said, “someone everyone involved with ORRA knows and respects. The four areas and those in charge are: [Read more…]