A young squad of Canadian rowers picked up a boat load of medals this weekend at the annual CanAmMex regatta, this year held in Mexico (PISTA OLIMPICA DE REMO Y CANOTAJE VIRGILIO URIBE, XOCHIMILCO, D.F., MEXICO).
"We are very pleased with the results of the Canadian team at CanamMex," said National Junior Coordinator John Ruscitti. "All the athletes earned their seats into the CanAmMex boats, and spent some training time together before going to Mexico. This preparation period appears to have been a successful formula, and it is exciting that most of the athletes are eligible to return next year and compete for seats in boats heading to China for the 2007 World Junior Rowing Championships."
On the first day of racing, the Canadian women's eight took gold in 7:11.4, with the U.S. in second and Mexico in third. Members of the women's eight are Kristen Kit - UBC; Amy Rapattoni - South Niagara RC; Alex Almeida - South Niagara RC; Bridget Moran - London RC; Christine Roper - Brockville RC; Justine Galbraith - South Niagara RC; Christine Allingham -Brockville RC; Chelsea Good - Brockville RC; and Elizabeth Gittings - Don RC.
The women's quad (Jillian Trigg - Burnaby Lake RC; Claudia Blandford - Winnipeg RC; Veronica Makken -South Niagara RC and Laurel Sisler St. Catharines RC) also took gold and set a new course record for this event in 7:20.56
The men's four (Sean Addison - Thunderbird Rowing; Mathew Jenkins - St. Catharines RC; Spencer Crowley - Brentwood College RC; Duncan Gilchrist - Saskatoon RC) were also first with a time of 6.41.11.
In the men's single, Alex Soutter (Hanlan Boat Club) was second in 7:41.6, just a second off the winning pace set by the U.S. sculler.
It was a third-place finish for Dan Aziz (Don RC) and Alex Brazill (Regina RC) in the men's double 7:26.5, and a second-place for Veronica Makken and Amy Rapattoni in the women's pair in 8:34.74.
The men's pair of Mathew Hayto and Brendan le Nobel were first in 7:53.43 on the second day of racing. The women's double (Veronica Makken and Laurel Sisler) were in second in 8:26.43.
The women's four of Justine Galbraith, Alex Almeida, Bridget Moran and Elizabeth Gittings won in 7:59.8, 25 seconds ahead of the second place finisher from the U.S.
The Canadian men's quad (Daniel Aziz - Don RC; Alexander Brazill - Regina RC; Morgan Kirzinger - Regina RC and Brendan le Nobel - Thunderbird Rowing) came second in 6:41.95.
The women's single, Claudia Blandford of the Winnipeg Rowing Club, won with open water in 9:21.52.
Finally, the men's eight had a tight race to the last 250 metres when they made a move and jumped out in front, to win in 6:26.92, almost five seconds faster than the U.S. team at 6:31.25!
The men's eight members are Sean Addison - Thunderbird Rowing; Duncan Gilchrist - Saskatoon RC; Spencer Crowley - Brentwood College RC; Alexander Soutter - Hanlan BC; Jason Cartwright - Shawnigan Lake RC; Mathew Jenkins - St. Catharines RC; Matthew Hayto - Thunderbird Rowing; Stuart Taylor - Brockville RC and Dane Lawson - Brockville RC.
The next major event for the Junior program is the World Championships in Amsterdam (Aug. 2 to 5).