Three north county athletes were part of the lightweight eight that won the gold medal at the U.S. Rowing Junior National Championships this summer.

The boat of Allen Cox, Gabe Gribler, Joel Hummel, coxswain Jordan Kellett, Tucker Keyes, Trevor Liska, bow Aaron Meyers Tore Werner and stroke Simon Wold clocked the fastest time on a 2,000-meter course at Harsha Lake in Cincinnati, holding off teams McCallie GPS from Chattanooga, Tenn., and St. Joseph’s Prep from Philadelphia to win by a boat length. Their time of 6:02.67, four seconds ahead of their second-place rivals.

Gribler and Meyers have ties to Marysville, while Keyes is from Arlington.

The win is another feather in the cap of a laureled crew program that routinely sends athletes onto collegiate rowing careers.

According to the program’s Web site, the team has had athletes selected to the U.S. Junior National team for seven straight years. Out of the 16 teams at the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships, there were 12 athletes from Everett Rowing.

What it boils down to is a commitment to hard work. The junior team, Everett Rowing’s most established division which is open to seventh- through 12th-graders, begins the fall season with the school calendar, scheduling practices five to six days a week at their Langus Riverfront Park facilities with at least one competition a week for six straight weeks beginning in October.

The Everett Rowing lightweight eight achieved their medal victory after an unbeaten season in the 2,000 meters, winning at the San Diego Crew Classic, the Brentwood Regatta in British Columbia and the Northwest Regional Championships in Vancouver, Wash. This includes a victory in their championship qualifying heat.

The boys lightweight team has enjoyed increasing success with a bronze medal finish in 2006 and silver in 2007.

The team is coached by Marty Beyer and Patrick Secor.