Carving pumpkins and costume parties are the preludes to Halloween for most folks, but for rowers with Dallas United Crew (DUC), it's the Head of the Colorado in Austin, where DUC medaled in six events.  

Dubbed "Pumpkinhead," the 5,000-meter race is in its 35th year, competitors are timed, and passing is allowed. The simplicity of the course's start and middle belies the complexity of the finish where a 360-degree turn around Snake Island, starting with a hard-right through the narrowest part of the course is reminiscent of rodeo's barrel-racing.

Having passed boats on the straightaway, DUC's Varsity Boy's 8+ met traffic on the Snake Island loop. Overtaking another boat, coxswain Ava Craycroft, positioned her crew for the inside curve, but was pushed out of bounds by an unyielding Texas Rowing Center crew. Ever resilient, DUC's men exited the fray, sailed around Snake Island and sprinted to a penalty-free, silver medal finish. 

The future looks bright for DUC. Varsity girls coach Amanda Perry entered lineups comprised of juniors and underclassmen to take bronze in the Women's 4+'s and 8+'s. In the novice categories, the Novice Boy's 8+ brought home gold, and the Novice Girls won silver in the 4+'s and bronze in the 8+'s.

DUC alumnus Will Schweizer with Texas Crew, delighted fans, winning gold twice – once in the Men's Collegiate 4x's (quads) and, again in the Men's Collegiate 1x (single), wearing a chicken suit in the latter for a bit of Halloween fun.
 
Dallas United Crew Results
Men's Youth Varsity 8+ (Silver)  
Archer Smith, Frank Burzynski, Hudson Price, Nick Dabagia, Brooks Kirchen, Andrew Douglass, Jack Lawson, Kian Yank, Ava Craycroft (coxswain)
 
Women's Youth Varsity 8+ (Bronze) 
Ananya Venkatesh, Ameenah Malik, Grace Hall, Olivia Till, Ava Wallace-McCollom, Elizabeth Welty, Hannah Ashcraft, Ellie Rodriguez, Chloe Deitz (coxswain)
 
Men's Youth Novice 8+ (Gold)
Nathaniel McNeill, Jeff Kang, Landon Seay, Daniel Sneed, McLain Niven, Jack Haney, Cole Farley, Matthew Slear, Topher Luzarraga (coxswain)
 
Women's Youth Novice 8+ (Bronze) 
Nora Thompson, Katherine Haiman, Isabella Sauter, Bella Oliver, Jeneta Nwosu, Ava Stewart, Molly Morris, Bryanna Wilder, Alaina Ruggiero (coxswain)
 
Women's Youth Varsity 4+ (Bronze) 
Ava Wallace-McCollom, Elizabeth Welty, Hannah Ashcraft, Ellie Rodriguez, Chloe Deitz (coxswain)
 
Women's Youth Novice 4+ (Silver)
Nora Thompson, Bryanna Wilder, Molly Morris, Ava Stewart, Lucy Hagge (coxswain)
 
White Rock Rowing Results
Kellen Zellner – 6^th in Men's Junior Quad; 11^th in Men's Junior Four
Nora Allender, Claire Jenkins, and Samantha Taken – 8^th in Women's Junior Quad
Samantha Taken – 12^th in Women's Junior Double
Nora Allender and Caitlin Breedlove – 18^th in Women's Junior Double