This summer, McCallie played host to elite under-17 and under-18 rowers from throughout the midwest and central U.S. as part of USRowing and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Olympic Development Program.
Every region in the U.S. played host this summer to a regional development camp, and the participants were selected through a competitive process from among the best scholastic and club rowers nationwide, said officials. This year marked the second year in a row that McCallie was chosen to host the elite training program.
McCallie rowing head coach Sean McCourt was the head coach of the Midwest & Central Region team, and McCallie rower Alex Williams, a rising junior day student from Ooltewah, was among those selected to take part. Williams was part of the boat that took home the gold medal in the Under-17 Men’s 8 at the USRowing Olympic Development Challenge.
“Alex is a standout rower, and his second year in the Olympic Development Program showed the huge strides he’s continuing to make,” said McCourt.
McCallie housed 36 rowers and four coaches in their dorms from as far west as Colorado and as far north as Wisconsin. The boys ate in Alumni Hall, trained in the Sports and Activities Center and, of course, practiced on McCallie’s “home course” on the Tennessee River.
“It speaks to the national reputation of McCallie School and its rowing program that we’ve been selected to host the Olympic Development Program for two consecutive summers,” said McCourt. “It’s a pleasure to bring this group of guys to a great school and a great city.”