Holy Names Academy Dedicates Six New Shells, Including One For Local Legend

HNA Head Crew Coach Caitlin McClain speaking at the dedication of six new shells on April 7, 2019. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney

Last Fall, in 2018, Holy Names Academy moved its impressively extensive Crew Program into the Lake Washington Rowing Club, on North Northlake at Waterway 23. The HNA Program averages over 100 members at the start of the school year, with closer to 75 by the end of the year when winter weather, conflicting commitments and team cuts have thinned out the numbers, a bit.

The Holy Names program started at Lake Washington Rowing Club, and has returned with a partnership that allows the non-profit club to keep up the facility for its members – while giving the girls a more spacious place for conditioning and training. HNA has won many awards for Crew since the start of its program, and with this new partnership, it is expected to only grow the program in size and skill.

Dedicating four of the new shells for HNA Crew, including the Florence M. Burke, dedicated by Suzie Burke, and The Bering Sea, dedicated by a daughter of a fisherman. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Apr '19 — Dedicating four of the new shells for HNA Crew, including the Florence M. Burke, dedicated by Suzie Burke, and The Bering Sea, dedicated by a daughter of a fisherman. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Apr ’19

On Sunday, April 7^th, HNA Crew members along with nearly 100 supporters gathered outside the LWRC building to dedicate six new crew shells – named after alumna, supporters, the Head Crew Coach, and one Fremont legend.

The six new shells are:

Ferrerows ’17 & ’19 – named after two sisters, both HNA alums, who rowed for the school

Awesome Crew of ’82 – contributed by a collection of 1982 alumna

Caitlin McClain – a thank you from students who appreciate the hard work and enthusiastic support of their Head Crew Coach, another alumna and former HNA crew teammate

Crew Girls ’01 – named by McClain’s parents, for her team

The Bering Sea – named after fishermen who have showed incredible endurance in their work, including the father of one of the students/crew members

Florence M. Burke, far right, was one of the women chosen to hold the banner announcing the dedication of what would become known as The Aurora Bridge. Newspaper clipping dated 1932

Florence M. Burke – named after one of the ‘beauty queens’ who held the banner announcing the opening, in 1932, of the George Washington Memorial Bridge (a.k.a. Aurora), the wife of J.R. Burke who ran Burke Mill in Fremont, and mother of Suzie Burke, who became instrumental, due to family encouragement, in the creation of modern-day Fremont, Center of the Universe

At the dedication, the Head Coach invited those who had contributed the names of the shells to give the significance of their choices, before each boat had water poured over the bow for its dedication.

The shells will now become part of the program at HNA, and will, with plenty of hard work by the Novice, Junior Varsity and Varsity teams, take the young women on to great victories – all starting at Fremont’s Lake Washington Rowing Club!