In mid-October, during Boston’s Head of the Charles Regatta, two Draper teens, Suzy Reardon and Jessica Miller, both juniors at the Waterford School in Sandy, helped their boat achieve a third-place finish in the Youth Coxed Quad event. 

Despite never racing in this boat configuration or at this prestigious national regatta before, the crew—up against year-round rowers familiar with the course—relied on disciplined training (two practices per day starting at 6 a.m. rowing on the surplus canal off Jordan River) and exceptional focus to deliver a remarkable performance. Only the teams from California and England finished ahead of them. 

“To be the second American crew and the third overall finishing boat in this boat class is an incredible accomplishment,” said Waterford coach Dan Salerno about the boat that also included senior Zoe Chou, of Cottonwood Heights;, junior Emma Molnar, of Lehi; and junior Sophia Wojcikowski, of Park City.

Waterford also sent a novice girls’ double boat made up of sophomores Adele Barshied, of Cottonwood Heights, and Kaleigh Joslin, of Sandy, which placed seventh in the U17 category, and a boys’ coxed quad that both qualified for next year.