Several Valley teens found precious metals last month in the waters of Vancouver, Wash.

Mount Si High School students Kaitlyn Absher, Katie Jensen and Hailey Perrine, and Chief Kanim Middle School student Abbey McLauchlin were among the top rowers at the US Rowing Northwest Junior Regionals on Vancouver Lake, May 15 to 17. The four girls, competing for the Sammamish Rowing Association, each brought home a pair of gold medals.

Absher and Perrine helped the association’s women’s novice four win in 8:23.75 — nearly ten seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Absher and McLauchlin rowed on SRA’s winning women’s novice eight in 7:17.07 — over 20 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher from Everett.

McLauchlin also won in the women’s novice singles (9:38.60).

Perrine closed out her performance helping Sammamish’s ‘A’ boat win the women’s 2 novice fours (8:37.12).

Jensen aided SRA’s ‘B’ boat to a win in the other women’s 2 novice fours final (8:40). She also was part of the association’s blowout win in the women’s 2 novice eights final in 7:54.01.

Other locals did well. Avery Hamann took a gold in the women’s varsity doubles. She and Andrea Volken, of North Bend, took fourth in the women’s varsity eights. Megan Hutchison won a gold in the women’s lightweight eights race and a silver in the women’s 2 varsity fours event. Shelby Sellers won gold in the women’s 3 varsity eights race. Blake Herman won a silver in the men’s 2 novice eights. Austin Bolves won bronze in the men’s 2 varsity doubles.

Volken, Hamann and Hutchison will compete for SRA at nationals this week in Cincinnati.

The women’s varsity eight boat with Volken and Hamann will compete despite finishing fourth. They finished just a half-second behind the third-place boat from Portland, and SRA successfully appealed to move onto nationals.

“This season has been the hardest couple of months I’ve ever endured,” Volken said. “The practices are hard and long.

“Rowing pretty much consumes your life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she added. “I am completely in love with this sport, and I can’t wait to prove Sammamish is one of the best crews in the nation.”

Hamann plans to row for Oregon State this fall. Several other local rowers are competing on college teams, including Katie Woolsey at Western Washington University, and twins Tara Eddings at Miami University and Chelsie Eddings at Gonzaga University.

Everyone should experience rowing, Sheby Sellers said.

“Just go out and try it,” she said.