2009 US Rowing National Youth 4+ Champions

The Program

The Nobles Boys Crew program has a rich tradition, with its top two boats always pulling at the top in New England Championships at the end of the season. The program features varsity, junior varsity, and middle school levels of competition. The Bulldogs race fours with a coxswain. There are four boats at the varsity level, two at the junior varsity, and one in the middle school.

The team competes in the Independent School League. This league is commonly considered by college rowing coaches as a hot bed for top prospects. Recent graduates have gone on to row at the top college programs in NCAA Division I and Division III.

In 2002, members of the team traveled to England to compete in the Royal Henley Regatta.  The eight reached the semi-finals of the Princess Elizabeth Cup Division with a key victory over Phillips Andover (the top 8-man boat in New England that year).

The Boys Varsity Four returned to the US Rowing Nationals in 2009 after earning a bronze medal in '08.  This time the Bulldogs came home as the National Champions in the Youth 4+ category.  The last time Nobles won this elite title was in 1999 when Gavin GRant was part of the crew as an oarsman.

The Coach

Gavin Grant (N'99), currently in his third season coaching the boys varsity team, won a national championship as a Nobles oarsman his senior year and then rowed for the University of Washington for four years.  Previously, Gavin coached for Boston Rowing Club, a summer recruiting program for elite high school rowers based out of the Harvard boathouse. When Gavin is not working with the team, he is the Director of Operations at Nobles.

The Varsity

Varsity oarsmen continually develop the strength and techniques needed to perform well during the season. Their goal is to row at peak performance for the NEIRA Regatta on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA where they have achieved great results. Their achievements prepare them well to row for the elite college rowing programs.

The Facilities

Nobles is fortunate to be able to practice on a section of the Charles River located a short row from the Nobles boathouses located just behind the Morrison Athletic Center. Adjacent to the boathouses is the newly renovated Lister Crew Training Center which is a great facility for dry land training through use of ergs or circuit training. The primary race course for the Bulldogs is the Powerhouse section of the Charles River in Cambridge.

Varsity Workout on Nobles’ Practice Course