S.W.E.A.T. Regatta

S.W.E.A.T, or the Southwest Ergometer Amateur Tournament, is an annual regatta held in the Terry Center, and this year it took place on Saturday, February 8, bringing together over 400 competitors from across the Southwest. This regatta featured many different events, including Masters racing, which is races for adults, and Junior racing, which is high school and collegiate-level races. With teams visiting from both Houston and Arkansas, as well as many local teams from Dallas coming to compete, there was a lot of competition. Over 30 heats were held throughout the day, with Jesuit entering rowers into the men’s Coxswain, Freshman, Lightweight Freshman, Junior Lightweight, and Junior Men’s events.

“With all the different crews in the region traveling to come compete at the school, it brings a competitive atmosphere to jesuit.” -coxswain sunil shah ’27

The day started off in a huge success for the Jesuit team, with Walker Bowman ’26 and Sunil Shah ’27 securing gold and silver in the 1000 meter Coxswain event. Then, Jesuit’s Caleb Knight ’28 secured a third-place finish in the 2000m Freshman Lightweight category, with a impressive 7:10 time. Afterwards, Jesuit continued their success in the Junior Lightweight event with Jackson Gregg ’26 and Barrett Gibbins ’26 taking first and second place, both securing sub-7:00 2k times, which are very impressive achievements. As the event came to an end, Jesuit athletes participated in the Open Men’s heat, with Owen Kubalak ’27 coming in fifth place with an extremely impressive time of 6:46.0; this is an extremely impressive time for any junior rower, much more so a sophomore like himself.

Coach Eli Brown commented after the race that “all the Rangers raced and rowed well, with many of them earning personal records over 2000m,” and said that “now it’s time for us to get back on the water, training and preparing for Heart of Texas in Austin in two weeks.” The Rangers’ next regatta and first water race of the Spring Season was the Heart of Texas Regatta on February 22 and 23.

Heart of Texas

The Heart of Texas Regatta in Austin was a 1000 meter race that took place on Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23. Top crews from across the Central Region came to participate, as well as select teams from outside the area. Despite weather disruptions, Jesuit still had the opportunity to compete against tough opponents and make a strong statement in the first outdoor regatta of the spring season.

The Rangers secured a silver medal in the U17 8+ race, which is a race that only rowers who are under 17 years of age can participate in, and they secured a strong time of 3:12.9, the fastest time for all Jesuit crews. The Rangers put up a strong fight in this extremely close race, finishing just over a second behind the gold medal crew. Additionally, the Jesuit fours posted impressive results, with the U17 fours finishing third and fifth in their own heats, the novice 4+ finishing fifth, and the Varsity 4+ finishing fifth and 12th overall. Additionally, the JV 8+ finished in fifth in their heat.

“It was great to see our athletes attack their races with the same intensity and focus they bring to practice… They’re learning how to race with more control and confidence, and these results will only push them to work even harder. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to build on this momentum.”

-Head Coach Eli Brown

With their first outdoor Regatta and second of the Spring Season, the Rangers focused on training through March and Spring Break to prepare for their next competition at the Battle of the Brazos Regatta in Waco.

Battle of the Brazos

The Battle of the Brazos Regatta was a 2000 meter race held on the Brazos river at Baylor University in Waco. The Rangers traveled to Baylor on Saturday, March 22, delivering strong performances across multiple events and impressing both spectators and fellow competitors. Jesuit athletes rose to the occasion, earning multiple medals and making their presence felt on the Brazos.

The day began with the Men’s 4+ events, where the Rangers team entered one 4+ into the Open category, where high school crews participate against collegiate crews, as well as two Junior 4+ crews. In the Open category, the Rangers put up a strong fight to claim a second place finish, securing a silver medal. Jesuit’s two Junior entries battled through competitive fields to finish third and fourth, with the third place crew earning another well deserved medal for the team.

Following the 4+ events, the Rangers shifted to 8+ races, entering an Open 8+ as well as two Junior 8+ crews. The open 8+ delivered a a commanding performance, posting the fastest time of the day and beating collegiate club crews from Texas A&M and Oklahoma State University. Then, in the Junior 8+ events, Jesuit’s boats put in strong performances, earning second and fourth-place finishes.

The final event of the day was Jesuit’s open novice 4+, which after a hard race, finished on the medal stand.

“It’s always exciting when people outside of our organization recognize the hard work we’ve put in” said Jesuit’s Head Coach Eli Brown. “Throughout the day, multiple members of the rowing community told me how impressed they are with Jesuit Crew’s progress over the past two seasons. Other teams took notice of the way we approach racing, and we look forward to continuing to push our standard and make an impact.”

Next, the Rangers traveled to Oklahoma City for the OKC Invitational on April 5, where they could practice for Regionals, as it was being held on the same course and would help them to gain valuable experience.

OKC Invite

On Sunday, April 6, the Rangers traveled to Oklahoma City for the annual Oklahoma City Invitational or the OKC Invite regatta, which is a annual 2000 meter race. The Regatta served as a strong glimpse of the high level of competition that will await the Rangers on May 2-4 at the USRowing Central Youth Regatta, or “Regionals,” as the Rangers call it.

The Rangers secured their top finish of the day in the novice 4+, winning first place in the event over OKC Rowing, Texas Rowing Club, and White Rock Rowing. Jesuit’s 8+ boat placed third with a 6:06.6 and Jesuit’s U17/16 8+ finished in second with a 6:34.8 time. The Rangers secured another third-place finish in the Youth 4+, crossing the finish line in 6:23.9.

“Every boat put up a strong fight, and most races came down to the wire with close finishes… We’re proud of the toughness and work ethic our athletes showed this weekend. Now we shift into refinery mode-the next few weeks are all about dialing in and maximizing our speed in the 8+ and 4+ events.”

-Head coach eli brown

USRowing Central Youth Championships

On May 1, the Jesuit rowing team traveled to Oklahoma City for the USRowing Central Youth Championships, a important regatta because it is the qualifying race for the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

The Rangers raced in many different categories, including the Varsity 8+, 4+, U17 8+, and the Novice 4+. They clocked in fourth place finishes in the Varsity 8+ (6:38.4) and U17 8+ (7:12.8), as well as in the Varsity 4+ A race where rowers Jackson Gregg (S), Noah Fahenbruch ’27 (3), Barret Gibbins (2), Gabe Gerik ’26 (1), and Coxswain Sunil Shah clocked in a very good time of 7:32.5, which qualified the boat for the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Additionally to qualifying for Nationals, the Varsity 4+ clocked in the fastest time in the Dallas region for the 4+ event.

On Sunday May 4, the Rangers closed out the Regatta with the Novice 4+ race, with a lineup consisting of Novice rowers Jett Pruitt ’27 (S), John Veselka ’28 (3), Matthew Gerst ’27 (2), Tom Taherzadeh ’28 (1), and Coxswain Charlie Tighe ’28. The Novice 4+ came in second, with a incredible charge from second to third in the final strokes, beating White Rock Rowing, who came in third, by only second seconds, a great moment for the team.

“Across the board, the athletes showed poise, grit, and support for one another… This weekend was a clear step forward and a reflection of the culture we’ve been working to build all spring.”

-Head Coach Eli Brown

The Future

Now the Rangers look forward to the end of the Spring Season, where three Jesuit boats will train for their next race, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia. Additionally, this is the largest high school rowing event in the world, bringing major competitors from both across the nation and even a few from Canada.

Tune into The Roundup for the Stotesbury Cup Regatta’s results!