Boys Crew had a strong weekend program-wide, competing in a tri-team race against Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) and Tabor Academy (Tabor) on Saturday, and later in the Lower Boat Regatta on Wednesday. In Saturday’s matchup, Andover boats earned consistent finishes across the board, with B4 securing a victory in its race. The following week at the Lower Boat Regatta, B4 again finished first, B5 taking second, and B6 placing third. Although the team was not as dominant as it had hoped on Saturday, the races offered valuable insight for the coaches as they worked to finalize boat lineups for the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships (NEIRAs), a goal the team has been building toward all season.
B1 Coxswain Vivien Valckx ’28 described the toughness of the competition and the team’s mentality heading into Saturday’s races, while also praising her boat’s performance against a strong Exeter crew. She noted that the race helped clarify where the team stands among top programs as NEIRAs approach.
“We knew that Exeter was a very strong program. They’re always really fast, especially this year, and we knew they were a team to look out for. We went in with the mentality that we were going to go out hard and put together the best piece possible. I think my boat, [B1], did really well given the conditions we were in. Racing Exeter was a really good checkpoint for us toward the end of the season and looking ahead to NEIRAs,” said Valckx.
Sebastián Vermut ’27 reflected on the team’s preparation leading into the race and how closely contested the matchup was.
“The week before, we did a lot of seat racing. We were really trying to find the fastest possible lineup, which meant lots of hard work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tabor is a great program, and we were able to do really well against them, and we also stuck with Exeter for a while during the race. They’re obviously a really fast crew, and they made the difference in the team trophy. That showed us we have to continue to make some changes going into NEIRAs next week,” said Vermut.
Vermut elaborated on how the team plans to respond in training following the results, emphasizing that the performance serves as added motivation heading into NEIRAs and reinforces the focus and intensity needed in the final stretch of the season.
“In the Varsity boats, we got swept by Exeter, and that’s a learning experience. When something like that happens, you look at it and ask, ‘How can we approach next week differently? How can we make sure that when we get to NEIRAs, which is really the only race that matters now, we’re ready to perform at our best?’” said Vermut.
With NEIRAs set to take place next week, Valckx reflected on the team’s season, noting that after some ups and downs earlier in the year, Boys Crew will enter the championships looking to finish the season strong.
“Right now, we’re seeded fifth behind Exeter, Deerfield, Kent, and Salisbury, and that’s something we have to keep in the back of our minds without letting it dictate how we approach the weekend. Everyone in the boat and across the program has put in so much work all year for this moment. When the race starts, everyone is going to give everything they have. Win or lose, all of these races and checkpoints are going to motivate us to do our best and hopefully finish higher than our seed,” said Valckx.
