National Podium

With 11 boats in finals and five podium finishes, Shawnigan rowers enjoyed a splendid finish to the 74th annual Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association (CSSRA) Championship.

 

Rowers arrived in St Catharines late in the day on Monday and were able to get three quality days of training on the race course before the competition began on Friday.

 

Although the temperatures were a little cooler than expected, the weather cooperated for the most part and racing went off without any problems.

 

Battling hard on the Martindale Pond waterway, known internationally as the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course (home of the 1970 and 1999 World Rowing Championships and host of the rowing events for the 2015 Toronto PanAm Games), Shawnigan crews faced tough competition in Friday heats and Saturday semifinals before qualifying 11 crews for the Sunday finals.

 

With many races coming down to the wire – including the Junior Women's 63kg 4+, where the Shawnigan boat narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth (0.05 seconds behind the third-place boat) – all Shawnigan crews earned great results.

 

By the end of the Regatta, Shawnigan had accumulated three silver medals and two bronze finishes, while all of the 33 team members are coming home with a multitude of memories, new friendships, and lessons learned about racing. Many of these athletes, including the entire Junior Men's crew, were racing at the National Championship Regatta for the first time.

 

Shawnigan Rowing is grateful to all the coaches and the athletic therapist who supported the team on the road, as well as the parents and supporters who made the trip to cheer on crews at the finish line.