News Archive
CSSRA Rowing Championships
Shawnigan’s rich history in rowing was at the forefront this past week, with our top rowers flying across the country to St. Catharines, Ontario, in pursuit of winning a medal on the waters of the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course as part of the 75th annual CSSRA championships. After a couple of years of training hard and waiting for the return of the competition after a two-year pandemic hiatus – meaning that many of them were, unusually, technically deemed “novice” athletes – Shawnigan’s rowers were primed and ready to race.
The first day of the competition was filled with time trials for those in events with more than 21 entries. With nice flat conditions on the water and under sunny skies, teams were also able to get in some training and fine-tune their skills in preparation for a busy Saturday, with 34 of our 36 athletes competing in the next round of races. Saturday lived up to its expectations, with 10 of our 14 teams finishing their heats with results that advanced them to the finals.
Day three was the event's big day, with the finals taking place across all categories. Eleven Shawnigan teams were on the roster for the day, and once on the water, our rowers, after a season of extraordinary effort and with positive attitudes, gave it their all. After a full day of racing, silver medals were won by our Jr Men's 4+ (Arden A., Bruneau F., Christian L., Moose [Kyle] B., Lukas N.), Jr Men's 2x (JD P., Martin H.), and Sr Women's 4+ (Kate R., Ally T., Wynne AL, Dailynn M., Maya M.). The other eight crews produced some of their best races of the year, leaving nothing on the water as they pulled their hardest. In some really tight races, three crews finished in the heartbreaking fourth-place position, with many making considerable gains over their time trial finishes.
For coach Paul Hawksworth it was a memorable trip, and he describes how there were “some medals and heartbreak, but it was a positive experience all round. I’m impressed by how our athletes came home with their personal best performances. Shawnigan rowers rose to the challenge this week.” Upon their return to campus on Monday evening, crowds of students and staff lined the driveway to welcome their fellow students home and celebrate their accomplishments.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
