Canadian athletes posted strong results today at the Head of the Charles Regatta - the world's largest two-day rowing event held in Boston each fall.
Rowing Canada's London Training Centre entry - Nathalie Maurer of North Vancouver, B.C., Cristin McCarty of Saskatoon, Sask., Zoe Hoskins of Edmonton, Alta., Sandra Kisil of Hamilton, Ont. and coxswain Laura Comeau of St. Catharines - won the Championship women's four event in 17:51.281 this afternoon. The University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia were third and fourth respectively in the same event.
The London Training Centre also won the Lightweight Eights for women, in a time of 16:15.442 on the just over three-mile course. Queen's University of Kingston, Ont. was sixth in the same event
The first-place lightweights are Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S., Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont., Lindsay Jennerich of Victoria, B.C., Sheryl Preston of North Delta, B.C., Camille Brillion of Edson, Alta., Amber Cuthbertson of Harrowsmith, Ont., Kristen Jeffery of Newmarket, Ont., Lindsay Forget of Aurora, Ont. and coxswain Kat Romatowski of St. Catharines, Ont. Cameron and Jennerich are 2007 World Cup medallists in the lightweight women's double and qualified the double for next year's Olympics.
The Training Centre was also second in the Championship women's eight in 15:39.412. The US Rowing Princeton Training Center was first in 15:26.572.
The heavyweight eight, the same boat that was sixth in the World this year, consists of Heather Mandoli of Kelowna, B.C., Ashley Brzozowicz of Toronto, Ont., Kaylan Vander Schilden of Victoria, Sabrina Kolker of West Vancouver, B.C., Romina Stefancic of Victoria, Katie Reynolds of St. John, NB, Buffy Williams of St. Catharines, Ont., Sarah Bonikowsky of Orangeville, Ont., and Lesley Thompson-Willie of London, Ont. (cox).
Rowing Canada's lightweight eight men's entry was third in 14:27.333. New York Athletic Club (14:25.810) and Hollandia Boat Club (14:27.012) took first and second. Less than a second separated second and third places over more than three-miles on the Charles River.
The lightweight eight this year consists of Paul Amesbury of Ottawa, Ont., Jon Beare of Toronto, Ont., Iain Brambell of Victoria, B.C., Matt Jensen of Innerkip, Ont., Mike Lewis of Victoria, B.C., Terry McKall of Edmonton, Alta., Liam Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont., John Sasi of North Delta, B.C., and coxswain Mark Laidlaw of Mississauga, Ont.
Yesterday, Canada swept the prestigious women's and men's singles' events, which Malcolm Howard of Victoria beating World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand and Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. winning her first singles title at this regatta.
Canada's top rowing athletes will now come home to prepare for the National Rowing Championships, which will be held in conjunction with the Canadian University Rowing Championships, Nov. 1 to 4 in Welland, Ont.
Other Canadian Sunday highlights from the Charles regatta:
- In the Youth Fours Men, St. Catharines Rowing Club's entry was first in 17:18.331. Upper Canada College was ninth in the same event in 17:58.640 out of 51 crews participating in this race.
- Lightweight Fours Women saw the University of Victoria finish second in 19:13.322; Brock University was third in 19:15.634. UBC was fifth and Western was eighth in the same event.
- The Western Rowing Club was third in the Lightweight Fours for men in 16:46.404.
- In the Championships Fours for men, St. Catharines Rowing Club was sixth in 17:00.307.
- Queen's University was fifth in the Collegiate Eights Men in 15:30.820; Brock University of St. Catharines was seventh in the same event in 15:36.596. In the women's Collegiate Eights, Queen's was seventh and Brock was ninth.
- Thunder Bay Rowing Club's Michael Bailey was eighth in 19:09.047 in the lightweight singles for men.
- Finishing eighth in Youth Fours Women was the entry from the Quebec Rowing Association.
- Youth Eights Men - St. Catharines Rowing Club was seventh out of 56 crews. The Women's Youth eights from St. Catharines were eighth overall and the South Niagara Rowing Club was 10th, out of 49 crews.
- British Columbia's Burnaby Lake Rowing Club's John Helliwell was fourth in the Senior-Veteran Singles Men (70+) earlier today.
- The Kingston Rowing Cub (Allisha Campaigne, Meredith Papps) was third in the Youth Doubles for women in 20:38.310 and the London Rowing Club was eighth in the Youth Doubles for men.