Marietta crew wins Freshman Novice 8+ at Head of the Hooch
Pioneer Navy closes the fall season this weekend at the Frostbite and Bill Braxton regattas

Nov. 3, 2007
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Pioneer Navy's Freshman 8 made the most of its opportunity to compete in Saturday (Nov. 3) afternoon's Head of the Hooch on the Tennessee River. The shell, which received late notice of an available slot in the Freshman Novice 8+ event, dominated its competition en route to a first place finish.

Marietta's boat, which featured coxswain Tom Dougherty, stroke Niklas von Kuczkowski, Nathan Capers, Devin Turley, Zach McGurt, William Charlton, Dan Bratton, Daniel Mills and bow Zach Mateja, had its first chance to face outside competition at the 5,000 meter head race on the Tennessee River, which ended at Ross’s Landing Park. The entire Pioneer Navy fleet traveled to the Head of Schuylkill in Philadelphia, Pa., on November 3, only for the regatta to be cancelled for the second straight year because of unsafe conditions.

Under the direction of Assistant Coach JP Sekulich, the men cruised to a 27-second victory over its closest competitor. The Pioneer crossed the line in 16:45.4. Jacksonville (17:13.3) placed second, while Notre Dame Rowing Club (17:35.0) took third. According to Head Coach Chris Pucella, it was the largest margin of victory in the event since the race was moved from Lake Lanier, Georgia, three years ago.

"After a disappointing trip to Philadelphia, an opportunity to race at the Hooch certainly revived our spirits," said Sekulich. "The performance in Chattanooga clearly reflected their approach to the training this fall. The internal competition is intense and indicative of our team's commitment to the excellence that is Marietta crew. These guys are racers in the purest sense."

Marietta closes out its fall season this weekend with two races on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pa. The Pioneers will race at the Frostbite Regatta on Saturday (Nov. 10) and then the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta on Sunday (Nov. 11).