Printer Friendly Version - Valley Regional Co-Op Crew Rowing Towards Sustained Success

Pictured during racing action for the Valley Regional-Old Saybrook crew co-op team are Old Saybrook athletes Kylie Lake, Sasha Dziebel, Whitney Bird, Emma Wakelee, and Nick Dutra. Photo courtesy of Ashley Malinovsky

The Warriors’ co-op crew squad has been pushing upstream all spring long, as they look to prepare for some pivotal postseason regatta races. Photo courtesy of Ashley Malinovsky

For the Valley Regional-Old Saybrook crew co-op team, it has been a spring season as bright as the weather. The Warriors are both having fun in the sun and on the water while developing a great breadth of talent and acumen across the board and in each of their numerous boats.

For the first time ever in program history within the 2023 season, the Warriors qualified for the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Regatta. Additionally at that event, Valley’s second girls’ boat earned a spot on May 27 at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Again for the 2024 voyage, the Warriors boast a co-op crew club composed of various Shoreline athletes from Valley Regional, along with Old Saybrook High School. Led by Head Coach Ashley Malinovsky, Valley has set to the seas united as one unit, while having plenty of fun riding the waves that corral great experience for the group.

The Warriors are led in the seas by three stewards in Valley Regional senior Nate Barton, Owen Courtright (an Old Saybrook junior), and another Valley senior with Millie Gardner. Malinovsky proclaimed that each athlete brings their own unique and diverse skill set. No matter their background or school, each has earned their captain appointment on the back of their actions and conduct.

“Each of our captains comes with a unique set of skills,” said Malinovsky. “Nate is a hard worker and is very good at getting everything ready for practice and races. This is his third year rowing with the team, and he has become much more vocal in his leadership role. Millie is also in her third year of rowing with the team and is a strong leader. She is very diligent and works hard to make the practices and races easier for the coaches. Owen is the Old Saybrook captain, although he is only a junior and is in his third year of rowing as well.”

Looking at the various boats Valley brings into the waters, its first girls’ varsity boat is comprised of Maeve Brashears (coxswain and senior), Gardner (positioned at seat four as a senior), Kayleigh Mackenzie (seat three-senior), Abby Jones (seat two-junior), and Aemeila Kostek (seat one-sophomore).

“Maeve became a full-time coxswain this year, and she is well suited for the role with her experience in the boat,” Malinovsky said. “Millie, Kayleigh, and Abby bring a lot of experience to the boat, and Amelia rounds it out with her strength.”

The Warriors first boys’ varsity boat is comprised of a novice coxswain in Sofia Amaya (sophomore), junior Jake Marmelstein (seat four), Tristan Smith (seat three, also a junior), Tristan Spallone (seat two-sophomore), and senior Nate Barton (bow seat). On this grouping, Malinovsky proclaimed, “they're still trying to find their groove, but they have potential to do well.”

The Warriors had their second qualifying race for the CT Public Schools Rowing Association (CPSRA) Regatta against Middletown and Lewis Mills on May 7. The entire campaign will culminate with the championship regatta, which will be held on Sunday, May 19 at Lake Waramaug.

Malinovsky has been the head coach at Valley Regional since 2022. Prior to that, she was head coach at Old Saybrook before bringing the Rams’ team and combining them with the Valley Regional squad. While at Old Saybrook, Malinovsky was an assistant coach (for three years) and then head coach (two seasons) for the Old Saybrook co-ed crew team. At the end of 2021, John Laundon, the founder and head coach of Valley crew, retired, at which time Malinovsky saw it as an opportune moment to make the move to Valley Regional and take the Rams’ squad with her to fuse the two teams together.

She has a trio of assistant coaches. Renny Schoonmaker, who is a former Yale rower, has been coaching with Valley since 2016–fixing boats and keeping the fleet afloat. Brandon Green has been with Valley since 2023 and was a rower at Lyme-Old Lyme and coaches the boys. Lastly, Hilary Hurdis is an Old Saybrook connection who just joined the Warriors’ family this year. She is a teacher from Old Saybrook and rowed in a former life.

The Warriors roster for 2024 is comprised of seniors in Barton (of Valley), Brashears (Valley), Audrey Counter (of Valley), Gardner (of Valley), Leo Gilman (from Old Saybrook), Mackenzie (Valley), Madeline Morissey (Valley); juniors Courtright, Jones (Valley), Kylie Lake (of Old Saybrook), Marmelstein (Valley), Smith (Valley), Lauren Verhagen (of Valley); sophomores in Amaya (Valley), Whitney Bird (Old Saybrook), Sophie Bowers (Valley), Adam DeCamp (Old Saybrook), Nick Dutra (of Old Saybrook), Sasha Dziebel (from Old Saybrook), Kostek (Valley), Anna Schiekowitz (Valley), Spallone (Valley Regional), Charles Spinelli, Emma Wakelee (Old Saybrook); plus freshmen Nathan Bernhardson (of Old Saybrook), Ella Collins (Valley), Alanna Nye (Valley), and Kajsia Wright (Valley).