The 18th annual Island Sprints drew a big crowd to Grosse Ile Middle School in March. (Dave Chapman photo)
BY SAMANTHA ELLIOTT
On the eve of the official start of the spring sports season, members of the Grosse Ile high school rowing team participated in the 18th annual Island Sprints event, held at Grosse Ile Middle School.
Unbeknownst to them, the Red Devils were less than a week away from the postponement — and ultimately cancellation — of their 2020 season.
Due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, few things are left in what most consider normal daily life and unfortunately for Grosse Ile High School Coach Scott Sitek and his high school crew — along with all other high school athletes in the country — their team was not part of the essential exceptions.
Luckily for the Red Devils, they had the 2020 Island Sprints to at least test the waters for their season — or test the inside of Grosse Ile Middle School from a rowing machine.
The event, which existed as the Southeastern Michigan Indoor Rowing Championships when it began in the mid-1990s, before Sitek’s dad, Dennis changed the name when he began chairing the event, is a yearly event for rowers of all ages to come together for something they love.
The event itself is open to any rower from middle school up to the highest veterans, but the largest crowd of participants is a junior scholastic event made up of athletes from high school programs.
This year, the school was filled with many local teams as well as participants from Cranbrook, the Detroit Boat Club, Saline and the Lasalle Rowing Club in Windsor.
The majority of the races throughout the day are the typical 2,000-meter race and Sitek said that the indoor rowing event can mean different things for different athletes.
“For the high school rowers, it’s a chance to compete and evaluate and measure the improvements they’ve made in the summer,” he said. “The timing of Island Sprints also serves as a springboard into the high school rowing season.”
For the masters rowers, they are simply looking for a way to stay competitive until their on-water racing season begins later in the summer.
“We also see a number of athletes who are there to try something new or are there for the many health benefits rowing provides,” Sitek said. “At the end of the day, it’s fun for everybody and a great chance to break up water training. There’s a tropical theme to the event as well because we all need some warm thoughts in Michigan in early March.”
Throughout the day, medals are awarded in each category for finishes in the top-three spots.
Some of the biggest competition of the day comes in the form of the relays where teams of four athletes each row a 500 meter leg of the race.
“It’s fast, loud and pretty energetic with athletes switching on and off the machines and a lot of fun to watch,” Sitek said. “The high school athletes really enjoy these because oftentimes you see the four fastest kids represent their teams against the best everyone else has to offer.”
Looking back, Sitek is grateful that his Red Devils had the chance to participate in the event before their season was yanked from beneath them.
“We talk a lot about opportunity on our team and I’m glad that the kids that raced that day took advantage of their opportunity to train and improve all winter and had the opportunity to race that day,” he said. “We only had two full practices during our first official week of practice. It definitely puts everything we’re missing this spring in perspective.”
Sitek and his wife are both teachers in the area and with four young children at home, are adjusting to their new lifestyle that the world events have presented.
“We’re adjusting,” he said. “Staying busy, but certainly missing our students and obviously, I really miss my team. My wife Kristen and I coached together for years so the significance of this isn’t lost on her either.”
While the family is adjusting to virtual teaching in their careers, helping their two children who are school age, trying to stay active and take advantage of the extra family time, the disappointment of a lost season is still with Sitek and his team.
“We’ve met virtually several times and like most of us, they’re finding ways to stay active and motivated,” Sitek said. “We’ve put together a small challenge designed to help our athletes not only stay fit, but also focus on themselves as people as well. I know they’re doing a great job supporting each other. That means a lot and I’m really proud of them.”
For the team’s five seniors, the Island Sprints was the last event with Grosse Ile rowing as a high school athlete.
Sitek said one of the biggest disappointments is knowing his younger athletes will not get to experience just how strong the senior leadership was going to be from Ellise Flessland, Rocky Morabito, Sage Korte, Maddie Miller and Corinne Pettry.
While the seniors could have hung their heads in defeat at no shot at a senior season, they instead focused on what they could control.
“The seniors spearheaded an initiative to check in on middle school students who are interested in joining the team next year,” Sitek said. “Knowing that their senior season might not happen, they chose to focus on strengthening our team’s culture and growing their legacy by positively impacting younger athletes. That’s pretty impressive and means a lot.”
While Sitek is disappointed that his team was not able to give his seniors the traditions and send offs that they have earned, he takes comfort in the fact that four of the five will continue rowing at the collegiate level.
With the 2020 season in the books before it even started, Sitek can start to look ahead to a year from now when the team can come back together and he already knows he has a pretty athletic and motivated group.
“We have some kids who have just started their rowing careers and are stepping up in every way they can,” he said. “We’re providing daily workouts and staying in touch.”
At some point, Sitek and his staff know they will have to officially turn the page to the next chapter, but right now, they’re not quite ready.
“Our team focuses on a number of things that will serve them well in life outside of sports,” Sitek said. “We just never expected that we’d have to use them this way so soon.”