North Allegheny crew cuts winning figure

By Pohla Smith

For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sports

Wednesday, August 6, 2003

Two years ago, there were about 100 girls and boys on the North Allegheny rowing team, and that was just too many.

“We didn’t have the equipment and the coaching, and we couldn’t maintain quality competition,” Coach Aaron LeDonne said. “We started to employ novice and varsity cuts.”

The cuts left about 30 girls and 32 boys on the current team, and the quality is very good indeed.

NA had several boats in the boys’ finals of the US Rowing national championships on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., July 22-27, and one of them brought home a bronze medal in Junior B 4x (also known as quad) sculling.

The bronze-winning team comprised Michael Ban and Tim Francis of McCandless, Dave Reynolds of Marshall, and Ryan Moravec of Franklin Park, all rising seniors at NA.

“Coming home with a medal from nationals is terrific,” LeDonne said. “We were the only high school team in the event.”

The other 14 teams comprised rowers from multiple clubs, he said. The boys also had two top-five-finishers in the 2x, or doubles, and one in singles.

Singen Elliott of McCandless finished fifth among 33 singles rowers.

Reynolds and Ban finished fourth in doubles and Jordan Ellis of McCandless and Moravec were fifth. There were 34 boats in the 2x competition.

“This was our best showing,” Ledonne said, “but over the last six or seven years we’ve had boats in the finals. Last year our quad was fourth.”

NA had a rowing team since 1986, and LeDonne was part of it for four seasons before coming coach during his freshman year at Duquesne four years ago. He just graduated from college this past spring.

The sport has become increasingly popular since its founding.

“I would say rowing, overall, has been increasing in popularity,” LeDonne said when asked to explain the sport’s attraction at NA.

“And part of it is attributable to Title IX, especially women, because they know they could win a scholarship. There’s a lot of money in rowing. We get guys who were swimmers or runners getting ready for their team.”

Athletes cut from their teams like football or basketball also have taken part, he said.

“We’re also probably popular because of our success,” LeDonne said. For the past several years, the Tigers have won the Western Pennsylvania Scholastic Rowing Association championship. During the school year, the team rows in the fall and spring. The rowers practice Monday through Thursday after school and Saturdays from the team’s home base in Groveton, on the back channel of the Ohio River.

The team that went to nationals was chosen from among rowers who participated in an optional five-week summer camp. The girl’s camp, LeDonne said, was “a more relaxed, non-competitive camp,” and they did not go to nationals.