The 2011 Canadian University Rowing Championships opened on Saturday, with blue skies and cold temperatures at the Welland International Flat Water Centre, Ontario. 24 university programs were in attendance, with Cascades rowing able to field a team of 21 athletes. For 18 of the team’s athletes, this was their first exposure to the university championships, starting with Saturday’s 2 kilometre time trials. The trials seeded the rowers for Sundays’ Finals.
The A finals pits the top 6 university rowers in each boat category, against each other, while the B or C finals see the 7th-12th positions, etc racing against one another. Most often rowers will fight to maintain or gain a position during the finals.
For the Cascades, the men’s 8’s was the highlight of the day. Seeding themselves from their row on Saturday to 12th position, was proving difficult to swallow. Having just watched the A Final of the men’s 8’s thundering down the course, the Cascades men’s 8+, geared themselves up for their final. At the 1000metre mark, they were fighting neck and neck with the U of Calgary in last place (12th). Their coxswain (Kelly McLeod), poured on the pressure and the men responded. Rowing with a strong surge, they were able to pass two boats(U of Calgary/Royal Military College of /Canada), to place them 3rd, with 2nd place (McGill) just 5 seconds away from them.
Men’s 8+: Mathew Morrison/Bryan Siemens/ Scott Micona/Spencer Koop/Caleb Davisson/Hans-Christian Mross/Emmett Campbell/Brad Jones.
Another nice result came from the lightweight women’s 2x (Becky Hildebrandt, Bethany Whitehead), with the girls maintaining their seeded position of 9th overall.
Results can be found at:
http://www.westernmustangs.ca/news/2011/11/5/ROWING_1105112409.aspx
“Ontario’s universities and the NSO – Rowing Canada, have formed some working partnerships in the development of university athletes, and it shows,” Coach Chisholm , “The depth of most eastern programs has increased five-fold; which inevitably left its mark, including sending the 2010 National Champions (UVic-\men’s) into 3rd place overall.” Western Universities will have to step up their game.
By Liz Chisholm
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