Sewickley Academy’s Cox excels at Pittsburgh Indoor Rowing Championship

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 8, 2019 | 6:54 PM

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Experience gained at two USRowing camps gave Sewickley Academy freshman Georgia Cox an edge at the Pittsburgh Indoor Rowing Championship on Jan. 26 at Kingsley Association in East Liberty.

Cox, a member of the Three Rivers Rowing Junior team on Washington’s Landing, earned a gold medal in the high school JV girls grades 9-11 division. Cox rowed 2,000 meters in 7 minutes, 31.2 seconds, nearly 12 seconds ahead of second place.

“Attending the camps definitely contributed to the mental toughness I need before an erg test,” said Cox, the 2018 Youth Novice Girls champion. “Being around other kids who go through the same thoughts and feelings during a test piece and being able to talk about it really helps build a layer of toughness.”

The 5-foot-9 Cox was invited to the Women’s U17 Development Camp last summer in Connecticut and the Youth Regional Challenge camp and regatta in December in Florida, where she stroked a quad in inter-regional competition.

“Georgia has worked very hard this winter,” Three Rivers Junior Rowing coach Matt Grau said. “We expect Georgia to play a large role in the team’s success this spring.”

Quaker Valley junior Ben Kimmy (6:45.8) came back from an injury to claim a silver medal in high school JV boys.

“I have been recovering from a back injury for the last few months,” said Kimmy, the 2018 Youth Novice Boys champion who competes for Three Rivers Junior Rowing. “Placing second was a good place to start the spring season.”

Grau said Kimmy is doing well.

“We are looking forward to Ben working some of the other fastest ergs on the team,” Grau said.

The 6-foot-5 Kimmy plans to compete in the C.R.A.S.H.-B. World Indoor Rowing Championship on Feb. 17 at Boston University.

Among Masters rowers, Jane Kirkland of Sewickley (8:28.6) defended her title in the Lightweight Veteran Masters Women “A” 50-59 age group.

Kirkland, a member of the Pittsburgh Rowing Club in Robinson, said she was pleased with her time, which was 16 seconds faster than last year.

Earl Bohn of Ben Avon (7:21.2) earned a silver medal in the Veteran Masters Men “B” 60-plus final.

Bohn, a Three Rivers Rowing member, said it was his first individual indoor sprint.

Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.

Tags: Sewickley Academy