Led by their U17 girls crews, the host team finished second in the overall aggregate standings at the 57th annual Shawnigan Lake Regatta earlier this month.
Shawnigan’s 497 aggregate points were second only to Victoria City Rowing Club, and 26 more than third-place Brentwood College School, making Shawnigan the top school team at the regatta.
Shawnigan finished first in the U17 girls standings, fifth in the U17 boys standings, and second in U17 overall, behind only Vic City. The host school was also second in the U19 girls totals, ninth in the U19 boys results, and fourth in U19 overall.
Shawnigan finished with 15 medals, including gold in the U17 women’s JV coxed four, U17 novice women’s double, U17 men’s single, U17 women’s coxed four and U17 women’s eight; silver in the U19 women’s pair, U17 women’s quad, U17 men’s quad, U19 women’s lightweight coxed four, U15 men’s double and U17 women’s eight; and bronze in the U19 women’s JV eight, U19 women’s lightweight coxed four, U17 men’s double and U19 men’s double.
Brentwood placed second in the U17 boys standings, seventh in U17 girls and third in U17 overall; as well as first in U19 boys, sixth in U19 girls and second in U19 overall.
Brentwood collected 18 medals, including gold in the U19 men’s double, U19 women’s coxed four, U19 men’s coxed four, U19 men’s lightweight single and U17 women’s novice coxed quad; silver in the U19 men’s pair, U19 men’s JV quad, U19 men’s quad and U19 women’s quad; and bronze in the U17 women’s single, U19 women’s single, U19 men’s lighthweight coxed four, U19 men’s double, U19 men’s JV double, U19 women’s JV double, U19 men’s novice coxed quad, U17 men’s double and U17 men’s novice coxed quad.
Maple Bay Rowing Club topped the U15 overall standings with 85 points, 24 more than Nanaimo Rowing Club. Maple Bay finished second to Nanaimo in the boys standings and a close second to Vic City in the girls standings.
MBRC earned gold medals in the U17 women’s JV double and U15 women’s coxed quad, silver in the U15 men’s coxed quad, and bronze in the U17 women’s JV four and U15 women’s double.
As part of the regatta, Shawnigan headmaster David Robertson and North Cowichan Mayor and Cowichan Valley Regional District Board Chair Jon Lefebure extended a welcome to Rowing Canada, which has identified Shawnigan and Quamichan lakes as training venues leading toward the 2020 Olympics.
Phil Lind, the vice chairman of Rogers Communications, was also on hand to announce a major donation to Shawnigan Rowing in honour of his friend, the late Jim Shaw. Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications have shared a longstanding mutual respect, and the gift is in support of a program in which Jim Shaw once participated as a Shawnigan student in the 1970s.
“Jim was an extraordinary guy; very smart, great fun, and extraordinarily dedicated to the School,” Lind said.