Prep rower is someone to look up to

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, May, 2008 | by Rick O'Brien Inquirer Staff Writer

With a 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame, Kevin Kennedy often gets asked if he plays basketball for St. Joseph's Prep. "That happens all the time," he said. "Someone will say, 'You're so tall. You must play basketball.' When I say that I'm a rower, it's a pretty big surprise." For the Prep crew, Kennedy has been a steady and strong performer.

This spring, the 18-year-old has been a fixture in the No. 5 seat for the highly successful varsity senior eight. "He's been in our varsity eight the last three years," Hawks coach Bill Lamb said. "That's pretty extraordinary." In yesterday's 82d Stotesbury Cup Regatta, in rainy and damp conditions on the Schuylkill, the Prep varsity eight advanced to this morning's semifinals with a second-place qualifying time of 4 minutes, 12.25 seconds....