The Bay Scallop Bowl's 2014 winning team, from Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY, is off to the Nationals in Seattle, WA. Photo: Joseph Dlhopolsky.

Stony Brook, NY, March 14, 2014 - Congratulations are in order for the team of Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn who scored the first place win at Saturday’s Bay Scallop Bowl, beating out longtime BSB winner and ‘friendly rival’ Mt. Sinai in the final playoff round with a score of 54 to 50. Coming in third was Longwood High School. Thanks to Kim Knoll for sending us the play-by-play earlier this week.
 
Congratulations, also, to all the other teams and their coaches for their hard work, and to the volunteers (led by Katelin Childers) that make it all possible. Many thanks to the speakers that kicked off the day: Carl Safina, author and founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, Congressman Tim Bishop, State Senator John Flanagan, Assemblyman Steven Englebright, and especially to Bill Wise, Interim Director of New York Sea Grant. All spoke about how important it is to care for the sea, and how this event can inspire passion for the ocean.
 
For Coach Sarah Richards, this victory is a long time coming. To prepare, Saint Ann’s team practiced twice a week and four hours on weekends. Sarah has coached a team for every one of the SoMAS sponsored bowls (count ‘em-- this was number 13), but for two years previously, she brought her team to a New Jersey competition. Each year, the Bowl has been a labor of love and something of a family affair as her husband Clive has driven the team bus--and they’ve taken along their son Thomas. We’ve been watching Thomas grow up and now grow into a fierce competitor. This was his second year on the team.
 
We wish Saint Ann’s the best at the National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition in Seattle in May.
 
- Barbara Branca, New York Sea Grant
Click Here to read a full blog about the event here.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for NY Coastlines, its flagship publication, which, in 2014, merges with the program's e-newsletter, Currents. NY Coastlines is published several times a year.