The Cathedral Catholic High School novice and varsity crew teams participated in the Long Beach Bill Lockyer Christmas Regatta on Sunday at the Alamitos Bay-Marine Stadium Olympic Venue, where Ryan McConnell ‘20 took third place in the Men’s Junior 8+, setting a CCHS record.

“We have all been practicing really hard this season in order to improve our times from last year,” varsity boys crew team member Lucas Santos ‘20 said. “I can already tell we are doing better this season than we did last year, and the team is looking forward to more regattas.”

Both the novice and varsity crew teams practiced every day since the beginning of the fall season to prepare for the regatta. The teams practice after school from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and every Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Although the novice and varsity crew teams placed in numerous races, McConnell’s race stood out among the group.

“We were behind by only one or two meters in a lot of races,” Santos said. “I know some more practice and hard work can really put us ahead for this upcoming season.”