Long trip to the nationals
Radnor's girls' crew team hit the road just in time.
More than 40 members of the Radnor girls' crew team left for Oak Ridge, Tenn., Wednesday before school started. They were on their way to the Scholastic Rowing Association of America's National Championships today and tomorrow.
It was a good thing they left for the long drive when they did.
"There was a bomb scare, and the school was locked down," said Travis Schilling, the Red Raiders' first-year head coach. "We might not have been able to get them out of the school. Many schools came here in vans. We got here in a chartered bus."
The Radnor rowers will man four boats in the championships, the largest contingent the school has ever sent to the annual event. The Raiders' varsity eight, second eight and freshman eight all qualified for the championships based on performances this spring. A lightweight eight was granted permission to compete on an appeal from Schilling.
"We think they justified their being here by their performance at Stotesbury last weekend," said Schilling, who was forced to make some lineup changes when a varsity-eight rower left the team.
Before they left for Tennessee, some members of the lightweight boat were still trying to make weight (130 pounds or under), but Schilling was confident they would be ready to go today.
"They'll be OK. They'll sweat it off," said Sally Faulkner, a reserve for the lightweight boat moved to the second eight when Schilling was forced to make the lineup changes.