Dragonboat team rows for first place

by Caroline Zhang

The MHS Dragon Boat team won first place at the annual San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival. The event was held September 25-26, 2010 at Treasure Island.

The MHS team, which is combined with members from Mountain View High School, won in Division B of the high school championship tournament. The team finished the 500 meter race under the Bay Bridge in 2:25.44 minutes, placing them ahead of Galileo Celestial Dragons and Independence High School, who placed second and third respectively. Competitors included teams from the Bay Area and southern California.

Dragon Boat Club President Tram Nguyen credits focus and a common goal of winning as reasons for the team’s success. The time and effort that the team contributed during practices paid off in the race, and cooperation among members was also a big factor, Nguyen said.

“I feel really proud of everyone on the team because we have developed so much over the past year as paddlers,” Nguyen said. “I feel like all the members of the team are leaders, because everyone has ideas and we all have to work together to win.”
Freshman Pauline Cao, the youngest member of the MHS dragon boat team, is one of only two freshmen on the team. She says that knowing everything about dragon boating is still a learning process for her and for all of the members. As the youngest member, she does not feel like her age makes it difficult for her to fit in with the older, more experienced members, Cao said.

“Sometimes it’s awkward to be the youngest one, but I fit in with the older kids,” Cao said. “I’m with people who I love and call my second family, so I learn new things with each day I spend with my team.”

As for the rest of the season, the dragon boat team is looking to continue recruiting new members of all age levels and abilities in order to build a stronger team. They also plan to sign on enough members to create a second team to enter into competitions.

The dragon boat team holds weekly practices on Saturday afternoons at the Bair Island Aquatic Center in Redwood City. Those interested in joining should go to Mrs. Cacao’s room in L-32.