The Bainbridge High School crew team came home with a boatload of medals after competing in their biggest regatta of the season this past weekend at the Brentwood Regatta in British Columbia.

“This was the best we have ever done at this regatta,” said head coach Tim Goss.

“We have been building for four years, and the guys who were novices four years ago are seniors now and rowing their best ever,” he said.

The boys’ varsity team competed against 36 other teams, and in previous years, the team had not finished above 10th place. This year, they captured eighth.

What is also impressive is that of the eight teams which finished above BHS all but one was a club team. The only high school team to finish above the Spartans was the host Brentwood team.

Bainbridge got off to a strong start at the 42nd annual Brentwood Regatta during the two-day competition in Mill Bay, B.C.

In six heats Saturday afternoon, Bainbridge placed third or above in all six, qualifying for Sunday’s finals in five of the six.

In the finals Saturday morning at Brentwood College School, the varsity girls 8+ took 16 seconds off their heat time and came in first, while the novice girls 8+ shaved off two seconds to also take first.

The BHS crew team, which consists of more than 100 athletes, was involved in several extremely close races, and they also took home some trophies and medals.

BHS had three third-place finishes, two second-place awards and two first-place wins.

The junior novice women won their final just 16/tenths of a second ahead of the team from the Sammamish Rowing Association, and the varsity eights won their final by six seconds.

“They were very excited,” Goss said. “Some had tears, they couldn’t believe they had made it that far, it use to be just getting to the final was a feat, and now they won it.”

The crew team will compete in the regional championships May 17-20 in Vancouver, Wash. and hope to have several qualify for the nationals, which take place in Tennessee on June 7.