St. Albans Wins Stotesbury Cup

Photo courtesy Julien Blarel

The St. Albans’ crew team’s men’s first varsity eight brought home the prestigious Edward T. Stotesbury Cup from their trip to Philadelphia over the weekend for the 2011 Stotesbury Cup Regatta, one of the largest and oldest high school crew events in the country.

The crew from the upper northwest school, located on the grounds of the National Cathedral, pulled off a stunning upset of two national powerhouse teams, St. Andrews (DE) and St. Joseph’s Prep (PA), cruising across the finish line in four minutes, six seconds, almost a full boat length ahead of the second place team. St. Albans also placed second in the men’s freshman and second eight races.

The men’s final also included a boat from Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school in MD. Other local schools making finals included National Cathedral (women’s freshman eight), DeMatha (men’s junior four), McLean (men’s lightweight eight), Woodbridge (men’s lightweight eight), Gonzaga (men’s second eight), TC Williams (women’s first eight and women’s second eight), Thomas Jefferson (women’s second eight), and James Madison (men’s junior eight, men’s lightweight four, women’s senior eight, and women’s second eight).

The win for the Bulldogs was the first championship for the school, and coach Ted Haley, at the race, which has taken place annually since 1927. The win also brings the Stotesbury Cup back to the DC area for the first time since 2007, when it was won by Thomas Jefferson (VA). As an alumnus of the St. Albans rowing program, it gives me great pleasure to see the team enjoying continued success.

Coach Haley was quoted by the Washington Post as saying:

“Its just a flood of relief,” he said. “We’ve been working real hard over the past four years. A lot of seconds, couple thirds, but we’d never had a gold. Now we have one and its amazing. . . . It’s the greatest St. Albans event I’ve ever been a part of.”

Photo courtesy of
‘Rowing’
courtesy of ‘BrianMKA’

Addison is a fourth generation Washingtonian, actually born and raised within city limits of DC. He currently resides in Arlington and works in DC as a government lackey. Addison can be reached at addison (at) welovedc.com

3 thoughts on “St. Albans Wins Stotesbury Cup”

  1. Addison H – You neglected to mention James Madison (Vienna, VA) which sent SIX boats to the semis and FOUR boats to the finals – mens jr. 8, mens light 4, womman’s 1st 8, and woman’s 2nd 8 (SILVER). THAT’S a story!

  3. Addison, This is a cool web site. Thanks for the kind words about the team. I remember you well. The frosh 8 also won a medal- Silver. I believe that you were a member of the last frosh 8 to get a medal. You went on to row in some pretty good light 4’s.
    Ted