In partnership with USRowing, AJRA will be hosting National Learn to Row Day on Saturday, June 4th. Activities will include training and lessons on land, a brief introduction of equipment, and, weather-permitting, an opportunity to sit in a rowing shell and take your first strokes on the water!

Atlanta Junior Rowing Association will have information available about summer camps, about rowing in the Atlanta area, and about year-round rowing opportunities for all ages. This is a free event, with no registration required! For more details, please check out this event on Facebook.

All activities will take place at the AJRA boathouse, right next to the Roswell River Landing, at 245 Azalea Drive, Roswell GA 30075.

Please contact us with any questions about National Learn to Row Day – we hope to see you on Saturday, June 4th!

With a rowing club almost 30 years old, any time you are “making
history”, the stakes must be huge. Last weekend, AJRA rowers traveled to Sarasota, Florida to compete in the 2016 USRowing Southeast Regional Championship regatta, and brought home results that are worthy of that historical classification.

Atlanta Juniors finished second in the team points competition, out of almost 40 clubs from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Of 13 AJRA boats competing, 12 made it into the final round of racing on Sunday, and 8 boats earned a top-3 podium finish. Additionally, four boats qualified for the USRowing Youth National Championship, and three boats brought regional titles back to Atlanta.

The highlight of the regatta was the Atlanta Junior Women’s Varsity 8+, winning the premier event of the regional championship for the first time in the history of the club. The varsity women progressed through heats, posting the fastest time on Saturday, and followed up with an open water win in the final on Sunday.

Executive Director Sarah Low was pleased with the club’s showing, saying, “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this team. Every single rower and coxswain who raced on Sunday contributed to our second place points finish, which ties our highest performance ever. Any time you line up against the fastest crews in the Southeast, and then can bring medals home, that is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations to our three Regional Champion crews, and our four Nationals-qualifying crews. I can’t wait to see how we do in New Jersey at Nationals, and am excited for the future of Atlanta Juniors.”

Full results can be found here, full press release here, and pictures will be posted on the AJRA photo site when available.

Regional Champions:  Women’s Varsity 8+, Men’s Lightweight 4+, Women’s 2nd Varsity 8+

Silver Medalists:  Men’s Novice 8+

Bronze Medalists:  Men’s Varsity 8+, Women’s Lightweight 8+, Men’s 2nd Varsity 8+, Women’s 3rd Varsity 8+

AJRA rowers are in their final phase of preparation for the USRowing Southeast Youth Championships this coming  weekend. The team will head down to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, for a full schedule of racing on Saturday and Sunday. All boats entered will be competing for a regional title against crews from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Atlanta Juniors will be racing in thirteen events: Men’s and Women’s Varsity 8+’s, Men’s and Women’s 2nd Varsity 8+’s, Women’s 3rd Varsity 8+, Men’s and Women’s Lightweight 8+’s, Men’s and Women’s Novice 8+’s, Men’s Varsity 4+, Men’s Lightweight 4+, Women’s Varsity 4x, and Men’s Varsity 2x. Crews rowing in varsity events are eligible to qualify for USRowing Youth Nationals with a top 3 finish at this regatta (V8+, Light8+, V4+, Light4+, V4x, V2x).

The coaching staff is excited to see rowers perform this weekend, building from a strong year of training and racing locally. Coach Jordan has the women’s program in a strong position, saying, “The team is ready and wants to take the next step as a program. We’ve been talking about putting all the pieces together, and I’m eager to see them let the animal out of the cage.” Coach Rob is equally as excited about the men’s racing this weekend, adding, “We look forward to our championship race, and the state-of-the-art race site will make this regatta special. Our athletes have been preparing for this race all season, and I think we are primed for our best race. It makes me wish I were still racing!”

There will be a full contingent of friends, families, and AJRA supporters in Sarasota, and many more cheering on the team from home. For the heat sheet and live results, please click here to follow along.

Good luck, fast water, and fair winds to all crews racing! GO AJRA!