The Cane River Rowing Club, Natchitoches’ newest youth sports organization, made its debut at the inaugural Cane River Sprints event on April 6 on Cane River. The Cane River Rowing Club is open to area youth in grades 7 – 12. The young rowers are coached by NSU Alumna and Demon Rowing Crew veteran Tori Dettinger, and with the New Orleans Rowing Club, constitute the only two rowing programs in Louisiana for youth.
A passionate crowd of around 75 rowers, families, and supporters cheered on their favorites as the Natchitoches rowers raced the youth members of the New Orleans Rowing Club (NORC) in a series of “sprints” that finished by the downtown riverbank stage. Over 20 rowers from New Orleans’ Xavier University, the state’s newest collegiate rowing program, were also on hand to race and gain experience.
The inaugural Cane River Sprints was a resounding success and will hopefully be the first of many rowing events hosted in the community. Cane River boasts near perfect conditions for rowing. Combined with mild winter weather, there are few places better suited for competitive rowing.
