Submitted article:
July and August have been busy months for local rowing crews attending regattas in Calgary and Nelson and the BC Summer Games in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. While we were racing here Katie Clark was in St. Catharines Ontario with the U23 Women’s 8+ crew in preparation for travelling to New Zealand for the Trans Tasman International regatta.
In the BC Summer Games, Zone 1 rowers compete against crews that have opportunity to row year-round so we go in to this event with that knowledge and strive for personal bests. Our rowers represented the zone well with personal best times improving through each race. Jordan Adams rowed the 1x (single scull) race in a time trial (1500 meters), heat and final (1000 meters). In the heat his time was 4:51.6 and Jordan’s final race was 4:23.7 placing him in 2nd place in the C final. Jordan learned to row in 2017 and decided to try for the Zone 1 crew in the spring of 2018. He also participates in Parkour.
Erienne O’Grady and Avery Bruin rowed the 2x (double scull) in time trial, heat and final. Their time for the heat in the 1000-metre race was 6:14.2. In the final of the 2x race the crew placed 5th with a much-improved time of 4:30.3. Avery lives in Nelson and Erienne in Cranbrook so they had only a few times together as a crew. Avery learned to row in 2016, took 2017 off from rowing to pursue her dancing and came back to rowing this spring to try for the Zone 1 crew. Erienne learned to row in May 2018 and tried out for the crew for the games. Erienne is a competitive skier in the winter months.
Emily Sartorel rowed the 1x (single scull) in time trail, heat and final. Her time in the heat was 5:21.8 which put her in the C final. The final was a close race, the type of race that no one knows the result of until it is posted. Both rowers crossed the finish line so close that the horn almost sounded as one. When the wake settled it was determined that the time of 4:38.4 was the winning time over the time of 4:38.8. Emily won the C final with that close time and posted a personal best. Emily is a swimmer and is studying to be a life guard.
In mid August a few rowers attended the Nelson Sprints and came home with medals and ribbons. Kristen Wilson and Emily Sartorel came home with medals in the 4x (quad) race and a second-place ribbon in the 2x (double). Roberta Rodgers joined a masters womens 4x composite crew from 4 different clubs (Nelson, Edmonton, Vernon and Cranbrook) to bring home a second-place ribbon and rowed a masters women’s 1x race for a third-place finish.
Katie Clark (Emily’s cousin) was busy training with her 8+ in Ontario so it was natural that they attend the 136th Royal Canadian Henley, so close at hand. The Canadian Henley draws crews from the world. There were 124 rowing clubs in attendance and 2047 entries in the races. The races are held over several days with eliminations happening in order that the best crews go to the finals. Katie made it to the final in the U 23 women’s 1x where she placed 4th with a time of 8:42.4. The 8+ crew made it to the Women’s Championship final where they placed second in 6:42.1. This crew was a composite of rowers from several clubs brought together to train and race for Canada at the U21 Trans Tasman regatta which was held in New Zealand. The race at Henley was their first race together. The crew headed south of the equator for the next adventure.
Following is a quote from Katie’s dad, Dwayne, about the results in NZ.
“Don’t know if you have all heard Katie ‘s news, so here it is. At the Trans Tasman Race in NZ, she ended up third in the single behind another Canadian girl and an Australian girl. Good race. The Canadian girls won the quad and today they dominated the eight. However, it doesn’t stand because one of the Canadian girls is in hospital down there, having had her appendix removed. A U23 Kiwi girl raced with our girls”.
Katie will be returning to UBC for the fall winter season to train and race and study.
The competitive rowing season is winding down for Rockies Rowing Club with two regattas to attend, the Head of the Pend Oreille in Idaho and the Head of the Weasel in Calgary. We are on the lake regularly early mornings and welcome those who are interested in learning to row or welcome back those who have learned to row and want to connect with an oar again. rockiesrowing.jimsmithlake@gmail.com will get you in touch with us.
