The cream of the crop of Canadian junior and senior rowers enjoyed excellent conditions today on the South Niagara course in Welland, Ont. for the finals of the National Rowing Championships (Nov. 1 to 4).
The country's top rowers didn't disappoint the crowd, as they competed to be crowned the National Champion and share in $20,000 prize money.
"There was a great mix of National Team veterans and aspiring National Team rowers racing this weekend," said Rowing Canada Aviron VP - High Performance Phil Monckton. "Some crews set themselves apart from the field, which in some cases was expected, and there were some surprises to keep it interesting. Overall, there was some excellent racing, including exciting junior races today."
Olympians and 2007 World Champions (in the men's eight event) Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C. and Jake Wetzel of Saskatoon, Sask. won the men's pair event in 6:50.44. Experienced National Team rowers Kip McDaniel of Cobble Hill, B.C. and Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C. were second in 6:54.22. Andrew Hoskins of Edmonton, Alta. and Dave Calder of Victoria, B.C. - who both took a couple of years off from competitive rowing to spend more time with their young families after the 2004 Olympics - returned in style to take third in this event in 6:58.64. Andrew Byrnes of Toronto, Ont. and Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C., both members of this year's gold-medal winning eight, were a close fourth in 6.59.54.
In the women's pair, favourites Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. and Jane Rumball of Fredericton, N.B. took first in 7:34.90.
"It's early in the season, but I feel this race is a positive experience and it gives us the opportunity to learn about what we need to work on back in the training centre. We know we have even better races ahead of us," said Rumball, who trains in London, Ont.
Second place in the women's pair went to two-time Olympian Buffy Williams of St. Catharines rowing with Sarah Bonikowsky of Orangeville, Ont. in 7:38.71, and third was Sabrina Kolker of West Vancouver, B.C. and Heather Mandoli of Kelowna, B.C. in 7:45.06.
World bronze medalist Melanie Kok of St. Catharines celebrated her 24th birthday by winning the lightweight women's single. "I thought it was a good, solid race. I knew I was capable of winning," said Kok who trains out of the Victoria Training Centre, "but there is a strong group of women and on any given day there could be a different result." Kok's time was 8:05.41.
Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S., was second in 8:09.50 and Lindsay Jennerich of Victoria took third place in 8:14.95. Cameron dedicated her efforts this weekend to her mother's fight with breast cancer and will continue to work to raise awareness for the disease.
Liam Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont. and Mike Lewis of Victoria won the lightweight men's pair event in 6:58.04. Their teammates in the lightweight men's four from the 2007 Worlds this summer - Iain Brambell of Victoria and Jon Beare of Toronto - were a close second in 7:01.47. The four combination of Parsons, Lewis, Brambell and Beare qualified the boat for next year's Olympics in Beijing at the Worlds and appear on track to return to training in Victoria with today's results.
Relative newcomers Nicholas Pratt of Kingston, Ont. and Josh Metcalfe of Walkerton, Ont. were third in the lightweight pair in 7:05.36.
In the women's single, Anna-Marie de Zwager of Victoria looked solid to win in 7:55.79. Her teammate from the 2007 women's quad, Krista Guloien of Port Moody, B.C., was second in 8:00.71, with 2007 Pan Am medallist (women's double and quad) Peggy Hyslop in third in 8:03.22, followed closely by Kingston, Ontario's Isolda Penney in 8:03.40, who just missed out on a medal today.
Malcolm Howard of Victoria dominated the men's single, winning in 7:18.73. Howard recently won the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston in the men's single and was a member of the 2007 World Champion men's eight.
2007 National Team member Rob Weitemeyer of Coquitlam, B.C. was second in the men's single in 7:26.06. Fraser Berkhout of St. Catharines, Ont., who was fifth at the 2007 Under-23 Worlds for Canada, was third today in 7:29.76 in the single.
2007 National Team member Matt Jensen of Innerkip, Ont. won the lightweight men's event in 7:42.92 - followed by two University of Western Ontario rowers Tim Colson of London, Ont. (7:44.70) and Cam Sylvester of Caledon, Ont. (7:46.11). Andrew Borden of Toronto was a close fourth in 7:47.25.
"I'm happy with this result," said Jensen, who was in the 2007 lightweight men's double that finished 12th in the world this year. "I've been training in London since the Worlds and I'm very pleased with the outcome today - it was a great weekend."
The Nationals gives valuable data for the Rowing Canada coaches to help form training camps that will determine Olympic and World Championships' crews for 2008.
There was also some great racing today in Junior events. Catherine Bouchard-Pilote of the Boucherville Rowing Club in Quebec won the junior women's single in 8:42.61.
In the junior men's pair, Dylan and Sylas Coletto of St. Catharines, Ont. won the event 7:32.39. Nick Schudlo, also of the St. Catharines Rowing Club, won the junior men's single in 8:01.09.
Emma Livingstone (Thunder Bay Rowing Club) and Sarah Black (Ottawa Rowing Club) won the Junior women's pair in 8:25.99.
Full results can be found in the row2k results section.