The Unionville Crew team has had an exceedingly successful season, with remarkable achievements in numerous races and an impressive qualification to the City Championships. Throughout the season, Unionville has consistently displayed outstanding performances, demonstrating the readiness for City Championships. Both the Girls’ Varsity and Novice teams have excelled, earning the opportunity to compete at the National level this year, in Cooper, New Jersey. 

At Championships, the Girls' Novice Eight secured a silver medal and acheived second in the state. Similarly, the Girls' Varsity Four earned a bronze medal, also ranking second in the state. With Nationals rapidly approaching, the team is preparing for the competition, driven by high expectations for an exceptional performance. 

Atlas Akki, a member of the Girls Varsity Eight, expressed optimism about Nationals, stating, “At the end of the season, we are at our peak performance and hoping to perform well in nationals. Our coach has prepared us well, so now we just need to do our best.” 

The team practices five days a week with separate sessions for boys and girls, along with joint practices on Saturday mornings. These sessions primarily focus on drills and sprints, further sharpening their skills for upcoming events. This time together has created a close-knit team dynamic that Akki describes as “one big family.” She adds, “They are the people I hang out with most. These are the people you see every day. You build very good relationships with them, like lifelong friends.” 

A successful crew team thrives not only on skill and effort but also on the strong friendships and bonds formed among teammates and coaches, an aspect that the Unionville team has mastered. Race days are both stressful and exhilarating for the crew. The team arrives about two hours before the race to prepare their boats and oars. Junior Riley Burns and junior Jack Develin, the captains of the boys’ team, along with senior Hadley Levinson and senior Chloe Kluender for the girls, play a crucial role in mentally preparing their respective teams for their races. The coaches, Mr. O’Dwyer (boys’ varsity coach) and Mr. Tolsdorf (girls' varsity coach) are praised by the team for their exceptional leadership and bottomless support. 

As Nationals quickly approach on Friday, May 24th and 25th, the team aims to end its season on a high note, confident that its preparation will pay off. Altas says “Both of our (girls Varisty) boats have been doing very well, and we are really excited to finish off the season strong.”