Clermont County’s local waters were recognized on July 13-16, 2023, as the USRowing Club National Championship took place, with over 1,400 rowing competitors and 71 clubs across the nation traveling to Lake Harsha at East Fork State Park for the fifth time in rowing history.
Clermont County’s local waters were recognized on July 13-16 as the USRowing Club National Championship took place, with over 1,400 rowing competitors and 71 clubs across the nation traveling to Lake Harsha at East Fork State Park for the fifth time in rowing history.
Lake Harsha has a “rich history” for hosting rowing regattas, Jeff Blom, president of Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. From 1982-1996 the National Collegiate Rowing Championship was held at East Fork; similarly, the USRowing Youth National Championships were held on Lake Harsha from 1995-2010.
“Having the USRowing Club National Championship here on Lake Harsha helps support Clermont County,” Blom said. “While this isn’t the first year the event has been held here, it still brings national attention to the county and the lake.”
Blom said by hosting the regatta in Bethel, he estimates the Greater Cincinnati area will gain around a $2 million economic impact. The event is also a way to help local businesses, hotels, shops and breweries around Clermont Community, he said.
Due to the unprecedented inclement weather last weekend, some of Thursday’s and Saturday’s rowing events were cut short. No semi-finals were held, and rowers were based on their timed trial races to determine if they made it to the finals.
On Sunday’s finals, medals were awarded to rowers in 47 events, and three overall point trophies were given out to the clubs that scored the highest in each event throughout the weekend.
The winner of the overall points trophy was RowAmerica Rye, with a score of 360; the club had 33 boat entries and earned 22 total medals. The women’s winner was Ready Set Row, LLC, or RSR, with a score of 272; RSR had 33 boat entries and earned 22 total medals. Conshohocken Rowing Center, Inc. won the men’s trophy with a score of 209; the club had 19 boat entries and 19 total medals.
Head coach of RSR, Kelly Austin, said her summer club team was based out of the Univerisity of Alabama, and kids from around the nation traveled to Tuscaloosa, AL, for the training.
Despite the non-ideal weather patterns, Austin said it was an opportunity for her team to accommodate and remain flexible under any circumstance, whether it be with rowing or a professional situation.
“At RSR Elite, we want to fortify them from the inside out,” she said. “We want to help them with their future endeavors, whether that be with rowing or helping them get to their desired college.”
Last weekend, Aidan Porter, a member of Three Rivers Association based in Pittsburg, PA, competed in his first spring race for the first time in eight years, and, despite the lack of recent competition, he won a first-place medal in the men’s/women’s Paralympic open event.
Porter said there weren’t always these types of opportunities available to him when he was younger, and he thinks it’s important to continue to spread awareness for these events to continue.
“It has been meaningful to have this type of opportunity and to be inclusive to all groups of people,” Porter said. “It’s really important to continue to show up for these events; otherwise, USRowing won’t continue to host them. It’s important to grow the event and show our support.”
Blom said the national championship would never be able to run smoothly if it weren’t for the added assistance of local groups and volunteers coming to the weekend event. Hosting an event as big as this really brings the community closer together, he added.
“Hosting the regatta here is a great reflection of the county,” Blom said. “It gives a national spotlight on Clermont and on this event now and in the future.”