On Sunday, November 5th the Tulsa Youth Rowing Association (TYRA) traveled to Wichita, KS, to race in the 26th Annual Wichita Frostbite Regatta. The challenging race course features a race distance of 2.7 kilometers. The team was successful in a number of events earning one gold medal, four silver medals, and three bronze medals along with solid finishes in a number of events.
“The Frostbite always provides a fun and challenging course to end our fall season. The 2.7km course is in the shape of a giant “S”, includes racing under three low-arching bridges, and offers little space for mistakes. Successful racing requires skilled steering and commands throughout the entire narrow course.” said TYRA Head Coach Tamara Clayton. “And I love how the rowing community comes together as one giant family when needed! When a handful of crews damaged their boats by rowing through shallow water and over sand bars, other crews, TYRA included, were willing to step in and loan their own racing shells so that everyone still had the ability to race as planned.”
Success came quickly for the team.
To start the day, the pairing of Jackson Linson (Christian Education Alliance) and Hunter Thornton (Union) rowed to a silver medal in the Men’s Open Pair. This was a particularly noteworthy result considering that these two high school student-athletes were competing against six collegiate level crews.
In the Men’s Junior Novice 4+, TYRA rowed to a silver medal with a crew featuring Elias Elkhoury (Our Lady of Victory), Graham Hubner (Booker T Washington (BTW)), Logan Milleson (BTW), Paul Maras (Kolbe Academy), and coxswain Elisabeth Jones (Holland Hall).
In the Women’s Junior 4+, TYRA earned the silver with Gracie Poole (BTW), Victoria Williams (Bixby), Anikah Rahman (Jenks), Lydia Bollinger (BTW), and coxswain Jordan Bollinger (BTW) – and bronze with Mackenzie Sullins (Epic Charter), Emma Reynolds (Owasso), Leanna Kim (Cascia Hall), Elizabeth McClain (Undercroft Montessori), and coxswain Somerlyn Talladivedula (Union).
The TYRA junior men’s team also met with success in the Men’s Junior 8+ with a crew of Brian Cooper (BTW), Ryan Jones (Holland Hall), Jackson Linson, Ransome Freeman (Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences), Elias Elkhoury, Logan Milleson, Hunter Thornton, Dylan Kupetsky (BTW), and coxswain Dakota Doctor (BTW). They posted a time good enough to capture the silver medal in that event.
The Women’s Junior 8+ also received medals with a highly competitive finish for third place – Gracie Poole, Victoria Williams, Anna Tharakan (Jenks), Emma Reynolds, Mackenzie Sullins, Leanna Kim, Anikah Rahman, Lydia Bollinger, and coxswain Jordan Bollinger.
TYRA’s gold medal of the day was won by the Women’s Junior Novice 4+. The crew was composed of Anna Tharakan, Emma Reynolds, Leanna Kim, Elizabeth McClain, and coxswain Jordan Bollinger. A TYRA rower, Anikah Rahman, also placed 3rd in the same event by filling in an empty seat with Manhattan Juniors to create a composite crew.
The team will now transition to winter training. Winter training will take place between November 13th and January 5th. Training will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4:45pm to 6:45pm.
The Tulsa Youth Rowing Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing opportunities in the sport of rowing for the youth of Tulsa and surrounding areas. For more information on TYRA and enrollment in winter training, visit the club website at www.okrowing.org or contact Head Coach Tamara Clayton at coacht@okrowing.org.