Bogalusa Crew 313 wins national championship

NORFORK, Ark. — Bogalusa Venturer Crew 313 won its 12th national championship here Saturday, winning three divisions and finishing second, third and fifth in another as the 45th National Invitational White River Canoe race came to a close.

The Crew, sponsored by the Bogalusa newspaper, is coached by Col. Robert Miller, United States Marine Corps (ret.) and left Bogalusa last Saturday, just hours after winning the Golden Anniversary 110-mile Bogue Chitto River Canoe Marathon.

Bogalusa took divisional titles in Open Cruising, Boys Aluminum-Advanced and Boys Aluminum-Novice and finished second, third and fifth in Boys Aluminum-Beginners.

In Open Cruising, Bogalusa finished the cumulative 120 miles in 11:49:33, edging Russellville, Ark. by 2:18 and beating New Brighton, Minn. by 16:39.

In Advanced, Bogalusa finished the race in 13:49:17, more than an hour better thn second place Little Rock, Ark., and 1:25.30 better than Bryan, Texas.

In Novice, Crew 313 finished in 14:15:53, claiming a victory of more than two hours over second-place Bryan. Bryan edged fellow Lone Star State entrant Fort Worth by 3:14.

In Beginners, Russellville, Ark. claimed the title and beat Crew 313's boat I4 by 20:32. Crew 313's boat I6 was another 13 minutes behind in third, while Little Rock was in fourth, just 24 seconds behind. Bogalusa's boat I5 was another nine minutes out.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)