Martini, Babiec 1st team, all Met, 3 honorably mentioned in Rowing

Cardinal medalists at ERG awards ceremony. From left to right, Josh Martini, Catherine Babiec, Lindsay Martini, and Joe Gorman. Not pictured, Kevin Shoop

A record-setting performance by the 2013 Bishop Ireton crew added another benchmark with a pair of rowers selected to the Washington Post’s all Met first team. The selection of seniors Josh Martini and Catherine Babiec marked the first time both boys and girls have placed a rower on the prestigious all Met listing in the same season. Joey Gorman and coxswain Kevin Shoop were lauded on the honorably mentioned listing as was Lindsay Martini for the girls.

Josh Martini will leave the Cardinals to become a Badger at the University of Wisconsin. The bright lights and cold waters of Madison with be Josh’s training grounds for the next four years rowing in the Big Ten. Ireton’s other first team, all Met selection, Catherine Babiec, was also named the Alexandria Sportsman of the Year in girls rowing. She will join the Ivy League’s Princeton University in the fall, where she told family and friends at her signing ceremony she hopes to be there for the Tigers’ first national championship in rowing.

Ireton also saw seniors Joe Gorman, another Alexandria Sportsman’s Club rowing winners on the boys’ side, and Kevin Shoop recognized as honorable mention awardees. Gorman and Shoop are both “Washington bound” though a rowing scholarship will take Joe to George Washington University in the fall while Kevin was lured to the great northwest and Seattle where he will become a Husky at the University of Washington.

Lindsay Martini, Josh’s twin sister, was recognized by the Washington Post as an honorable mention recipient. She will become a scholarship rower for the 2012 national champions, the Cavaliers of UVa in the fall of 2013.