Matt Vincent, a Mercer Island High School senior, and Michael Wales, a Seattle Prep junior and Island resident, both placed in the top 10 percent of their respective events at the prestigious Head of the Charles regatta in Boston.

Vincent’s four-shell placed seventh in a field of 70, with a time of 17.48.040 minutes, about 32 seconds behind the first-place finisher. Wales’s double placed third in a field of 35, with a time of 18.4 minutes, 3.435 seconds behind the first-place boat.

The two athletes were both “stroke seat” for their shell, responsible for setting the pace and length of the stroke for the rowers behind them: Vincent in the youth fours men, and Wales in the youth doubles men. The four is a “sweep” event, where each rower has only one oar. The double is a “sculling” event in which each rower has two oars.

Both youths row for Lake Union Rowing Association in Seattle and are coached by Conal Groom, a nine-time U.S. Rowing National Team member and two-time Olympian rower.

The Head of the Charles is the largest two-day rowing event in the world, and this year it saw approximately 8,500 entrants from around the world at youth, collegiate and masters levels.