Gonzaga's Spooner Goes Out on Top

Coaching his last race in the Washington area, Gonzaga Coach Tom Spooner went out in style. His boys' first eight boat won the first ever Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association Championship yesterday on the Anacostia River. The Eagles finished in 4 minutes 45.5 seconds, 4.5 seconds ahead of Bethesda-Chevy Chase. Gonzaga's second eight won as well.

"For years we've always played second fiddle to St. Albans or [Jefferson], so it feels nice to be on top," Spooner said.

He is leaving coaching to spend more time with his family, but will be the new league's commissioner. Over the summer Spooner plans to make the league official, and to add members.

Spooner said the new league is "not trying to be a rival" of the more established National Capital Area Scholastic Rowing Association. "We're just a bunch of teams that would like to do things differently," he said.

B-CC won the girls' first eight race in 5:22.8, easily beating Wilson by eight seconds. Wilson had narrowly beaten B-CC two weeks ago at the Al Urquia Regatta.

"The seniors have been together four years through a lot of ups and downs, I told them now is their time," Bethesda-Chevy Chase Coach Chris Graves said.

-- Matt McFarland