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Two Palmetto Bay residents, Gabriel Nguyen and Javier de Cardenas, participated in a national rowing competition in Philadelphia, PA over Memorial Day weekend as part of their team from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The team members won the gold medal and are national champions.
The Scholastic Rowing Association of America, the Schuylkill Navy and the City of Philadelphia organized the regatta which brought together 90 of the fastest schools from across the country in order to compete for a national title in a variety of rowing events.
Gabriel, class of 2021, and Javier, class of 2023, were part of the well known and respected “light weight 8,” the current state champions. This event requires eight rowers and one coxswain per boat, weighing less than 150 pounds per rower.
On race day, weather conditions at the Schuylkill River had temperatures in the 40s, with strong currents and rain. The boys prepared with sponges, raincoats and compression shirts and headed to the start line in their boat, the “Pope Francis.”
Javier de Cardenas said that he and everyone in the boat had put a lot of effort into it.
“I’m really proud of myself and my crew for doing this together,” de Cardenas said. “There were seniors in our crew, so it was their last chance to try for this. With this competition we only had two weeks to get ready, but I’ve been doing this for five years overall. We practice six days a week, at 5:30 in the morning before school and then from 3 to 6 p.m. after school.”
His father, Dr. Andres de Cardenas, is the president of the crew.
“I’m extremely proud,” he said. “To see my son win was great. These kids work so hard, and both are A students.”
Gabriel Nguyen, who has lived in Palmetto Bay since he was a year old, had hopes for last year, but COVID-19 interfered. Then earlier this year he had surgery, so the win was all the more appreciated.
“I can honestly say it was a dream come true,” Nguyen said. “For me personally, I’ve been rowing for six years and I graduate this year, so I’m off to college now. I started competing in nationals starting my freshman year. I was getting fourths, which was pretty good results, but not what I wanted. In sophomore year I was able to improve on that result and got third. I was medaling and our team was competitive. Junior year I thought we might make it, but then the corona virus hit.”
Nguyen will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy, which has a rowing program. He wants to keep setting goals for himself.
Yunian Cabrera is the crew head coach at the Miami all-male preparatory school that was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabela II of Spain.
