| Gillin Boat Club | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2002 |
| Navy admission | 2004 |
| Coaches | Gerry Quinlan - Head Coach Linda Quinlan - Assistant Coach Kelly O'Brien - Assistant Coach Jen Goldsack - Assistant Coach |
| Members | 200[1] |
| Location | 2200 Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. |
| Home water | Schuylkill River |
| Colors | Crimson and Gray and Black |
| Affiliated programs | St. Joseph's Prep |
| Website | [1] |
Gillin Boat Club is the rowing program for St. Joseph's University Rowing and St. Joseph's Prep Rowing.[2][3] It is situated at the 1,000-meter mark of the Schuylkill River race course in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gillin Boat Club was admitted to the Schuylkill Navy in 2004, by a unanimous vote of the Navy's members.[4]
The club's state-of-the-art boathouse has the capacity for 42 eights, 14 fours (quads), and 14 small boats.[4] It was the first new boathouse built on this stretch of the Schuylkill River in 98 years.[5]
Gillin also hosts the Fairmount Park Commission's Community Rowing Program, which is designed to provide an experience for youth in the city of Philadelphia who have not had the opportunity to experience the sport of rowing.[6]
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In 1998, Philadelphia City Council approved construction of what is now known as the Robert M. Gillin Jr. Boathouse.[7] The boathouse was dedicated in May 2002.[8] The building was designed by Robert L. Owen - Architects and built by Nason and Cullen, Inc.[9] While some have praised the structure as "the Taj Mahal of Kelly Drive,"[2] others have levied criticism on the boathouse's design, calling it a "bloated hulk of a building."[8] Work has been done to repair the second floor, which began buckling shortly after construction was completed.[10]
The men's and women's crew teams of St. Joseph's University regularly compete on a national level.
St. Joseph's University has been a perennial contender at the Dad Vail Regatta, the nation's largest collegiate regatta.
In 2008, St. Joe's won a silver in the Women's Frosh/Novice Heavyweight Eight and a bronze in the Men's JV Heavyweight Eight.[11]
In 2007, the team finished 2nd in Overall Points and 3rd in Women's Points.[12]
In 2006, the team finished 1st in Overall Points, 1st in Men's Points, and 2nd in Women's Points.[13]
In 2005, the team finished 1st in Overall Points, 1st in Men's Points, and 3rd in Women's Points.[14]
In 2004, St. Joseph's won 2nd in Overall Points, Men's Points, and Women's Points.[15]
Earlier in its history, St. Joseph's University won a Gold medal at the 1970 Dad Vail Regatta and a Silver medal in 1959, the first year of the program's existence.
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association's IRA Championship Regatta is the most competitive race in collegiate rowing and is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing.[16] In 2004, St. Joe's Varsity Four finished fourth in the Grand Final at the IRAs.[17] In recent years, St. Joseph's has qualified multiple boats for IRAs.[18]
The University Crew has competed at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta, a race in England. In 1999, a crew from St. Joseph's pursued the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley.[19]
St. Joseph's Preparatory School or "The Prep" has amassed racing records unequaled by any other American high school, including winning the Stotesbury Cup ten times since 1987.[2]
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta is the largest high school regatta in the United States and is considered the high school national championship.[20] The Boys Senior Eight boat won the Stotesbury Cup in 1987, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, and 2010; and the Boys Lightweight Eight won in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011.[21]
In addition, The Prep is the only team to ever sweep all of the eights races at the regatta. This feat was first accomplished in 1998, when the Prep won six events including the five men's eights events.[22]
In 2008, St. Joe's Prep accomplished nearly the same result sweeping all five events in the eight-man category.[23] As a result of the sweep, a poll by Row2k.com ranked The Prep as the crew of the week, over collegiate national champions.[24] Vespoli, a manufacturer of racing shells highlighted the team's accomplishment among other national champions.[25]
The Prep regularly competes at the Henley Royal Regatta. Rowers from St. Joseph's Prep "have been to Henley eight times and won the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup in 2000."[2] In 2008, St. Joseph's Prep was eliminated by Eton College in the semi-finals.[26] In 2005, St.Joseph's made it to the finals, but lost to Eton College.[27] The Prep's quest for the Princess Elizabeth Cup in 2005 made news in London[28] as well as in the United States.[29]
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