The 45^th Annual Shawnigan Lake Regatta

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Senior Girls Programme Junior Boys Programme Senior Boys Programme Junior Girls Programme

This is the first time in a long time that we are able to say that all races at both the Shawnigan Lake and Brentwood Regattas were completed on time! Shawnigan Lake School did a great job hosting their regatta at the West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park under almost perfect conditions. There was a strong tail wind on the Saturday and a strong head wind on the Sunday. Since we use this regatta as a dress rehearsal for the national championships (in three weeks time), some of the crews did not race in as many races as at our own regatta. The junior crews moved up a category in some places to challenge themselves against stronger opponents. Both of these factors affected the way we competed in the overall competitions.

Boys	Girls	Overall
Shawnigan 280 Brentwood 279 St .Georges 245	Shawnigan Victoria City Brentwood	Shawnigan Victoria City Brentwood

(The numbers missing above will be posted when known)

Review of the medal winning crews from the Brentwood rowing program.

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Senior Girls 8+	Girls Jr. A Novice 4X+	Girls Jr. A JV 2X
Jr. B Boys Nov. 8+	Girls Senior Lwt 4+	Girls Senior Pair
Boys Jr. A JV 8+	Boys Jr. A 4+ (Jr.B Crew)	Girls Senior 4+
Senior Boys Double	Boys Jr. B JV 4+	Jr. B 2x (Lwt)
	Jr. Boys B 4+ (Jr.B Lwt)	Senior Men’s Pair
	Jr. Boys B 8+	Senior Men’s 8+
	Jr. Boys B JV 8+
	Senior Boys JV 4X+

Individual crew reports.

Senior Girls Programme coached by: Mrs. Kelly Ainley and Mr. Jim Ganley

Jr A Lwt 1x Sarah Rosen	- rowed well, followed her race plan very well, had a great start, but needs to build some stamina to hold the length and intensity of a 2000m race - placed 5th in the final
Jr A 1x Sarah Williams	- had a slow start, put some pressure on to come from behind but injured her back (popped a rib!) by the 500m mark - rowed the remainder of the race, ended up in last place, did not advance
Jr A JV 2x Jessie Helfrich and Lindsay Rinning	- first time in a 2x together was on the Friday when they went for a quick row to orient themselves with the race course - 2nd time in the 2x, they raced 2000m and came 2nd, qualifying for the final (2 to advance) - 3rd time in the 2x, they raced 2000m and came 3rd (in the final)
Jr. A 4x Sarah Williams Jessie Helfrich, Lindsay Rinning, Sarah Rosen	- had a great start but other competitors' courses impeded their race course - fought hard to regain their solid position in the top three, but didn't make it, had a great last 1000m - came 4th and missed making the final (only 3 to advance)
Jr. A Nov 4x+ Lindsay Rinning, Alex Prieur, Seghan MacDonald, Amanda Munsell and Hanako Okano	- raced hard, executed their new race plan and did well, qualifying for the final - Lindsay was ill so I substituted Quinn Erickson (a Grade 8 rower) in stroke seat for the final - raced hard, at a low rate, taught Quinn the race plan and they ended up 2nd in the final with big smiles!
Jr A JV 4x+ Same boating order as the final of the Nov 4x+ (with Quinn Erickson)	- great race, up against some tough competitors as they all raced UP at least one category (or 3 for Quinn) - ended up 4th in the final, a solid finish for all of them
The Senior Girls' 8+ Gigi McQueen and Kiri Bleecker, Ashley van Order and Kat Davy-Traynor Lisa Small, Rebecca Faris, Sarah Laird and Kim Benda	The girls had a strong weekend of racing topped off with a 5-seat win over a rejuvenated Shawnigan crew. The SLS V8+, a combination of the crews that won the Sr. 4+ and Sr. Lwt 4+s on Saturday, jumped out to a boat length lead by the thousand meter mark, but Ria Parks and her crew fought back to take the lead into the last 200 meters. The race was so close the girls waited to see if Shawnigan would pull into the gold medal presentation dock!
Jr. A. 2 Gigi McQueen and Kiri Bleecker Ashley van Order and Kat Davy-Traynor Lisa Small and Kim Benda	Sunday also featured three entries in the Jr. A. 2-. Gigi McQueen and Kiri Bleecker,the Lwt. stroke pair of the 8+, earned Bronze while Ashley van Order and Kat Davy-Traynor finished 4th. Lisa Small and Kim Benda finished 6^th out of the eight-boat final.
Jr. A 4+ Ria Parks, Lisa Small, Rebecca Faris, Sarah Laird and Kim Benda	This crew finished 3rd in the 4+ to two club crews from Victoria and Vancouver.
Jr. A Lwt. 4+ Sarah Rosen, Gigi McQueen and Kiri Bleecker, Sarah Laird	This crew raced against an exceptional crew from Shawnigan to place 2nd in the 63kg 4+.

All of these results bode well for the next fortnight of training before the National Championships at St. Catharines.
With such a close finish in the 8+ and a sampling of  humble pie in the small boats, the girls have lots to work towards in the coming weeks.

Jim Ganley

Junior Boys Programme coached by: Mr. Garth Nichols and Mr. Adam Cota

SATURDAY
Jr. B Novice 2x: BCS B Derek Kozel and Brenden Hodgson	Derek Kozel and Brendan Hodgson came together to row a great race against some strong competition in this Jr. B Novice 2x. Though training specifically for the 8+, these two put on a great performance.
Jr. B Novice 2x: BCS A Nick Hsu and Cooper Bockus	Nick Hsu and Cooper Bockus focused on this double with great excitement for a week of training. Their hard work paid off and they qualified for the final. In the final, the two finished with a strong performance, placing 4^th overall.
Jr. B 1x: Dylan Wood	Dylan Wood entered this race against significantly heavier competition; but his technical strength allowed him to row to a very respectable 4^th place and prove that lightweights can compete! He has much to be proud of with this performance.
Jr. A 4+: Andrew Gottlieb, Sebastian Kallos, Cam Gilham, Spencer Crowley, Simon Woods	These four powerful young men rowed in the age category that was above their own. These athletes rowed in this division in order to gain valuable race competition in preparation for the Canadian National High School Championships. They were up against very tough competition against older and more experienced rowers. These five young men put together an excellent race to finish in a very exciting second place. Jacob was quoted as saying, “Hey Jason, this race was hotter than Saudi!”
Jr. B JV 4+ BCS A: Dan Thompson, Ollie Greenberg, Luke McClellan, Liam Harrison, Geoff Friderichs	This was the first real test for these lightweight athletes who are making a run at St. Catharines this year in a lightweight four and a lightweight eight. They put together a great race and rowed technically well. The boys were pleased with their race because they knew that they could improve upon this performance. They finished a very impressive 2^nd place and gained a lot of confidence for their future races.
Jr. B JV 4+ BCS B: Andrew Gottlieb, Andrew Meyer, David Yeon, Dan Munsell, Miles Dickson (Grade 8!)	A great race put together by these four young men resulted in a strong 4^th place! Special thanks goes to Miles, an up and coming Grade 8 rower who filled in for Mark Stephen who was ill.
Jr. B 4+: Dan Thompson, Dan Bester., Jacob Robinson, Jason Pasnak, Kelen Epp	A great race was put together by these four men who came out of the Jr. Men’s Hvy 8+. They rowed well and consolidated their technique and power application and gained valuable experience for their future races on the weekend. Dan was quoted as saying, “Even though we didn’t win, we still wanted to throw our coxie in the water!” This great bunch of guys finished second.
Jr. B Nov. 8+: Andrew Gottlieb, David Yeon, Cooper Bockus, Nick Hsu, Dan Munsell, Brenden Hodgson, Wells Greeno-McNeil, Mark Aylward-Nally	This was a premier event for these great young men. This was their last regatta and they wanted to put in a strong performance. They trained in this eight and came up with a great race plan. Mark Aylward-Nally told his crew “Get me out in front, and keep me there, boys!” This was, in fact, what happened! They blazed down the course with David Yeon in stroke leading the boys to victory! Cooper Bockus was so focused that he couldn’t hear his cheering squad, be was quoted as saying “I was looking for Mr. Cota on the shore, but only saw a dancing girl instead?!” It was a heck of a performance!
Boys Jr. A JV 8+: Dan Thompson, Dan Bester, Spencer Crowley, Sebastian Kallos, Cam Gilham, Simon Woods, Jacob Robinson, Kelen Epp, Jason Pasnak	The boys that raced in the Jr. A 4+ teamed up with the crew from the Jr. B 4+ to row in an age category above their own. This 8-man crew will be representing Brentwood in St. Catharines at the Canadian High School Championships in St. Catharines; thus, the coaches wanted to challenge them and give them great race experience. There is a lot of heart and drive in this crew. They also rowed an aggressive race plan to finish in a very impressive first place! This excellent result builds upon their win from Brentwood Regatta in the same category and they gained great experience in how to row a close race. Cam was quoted as saying, “This is a great result for the crew and we look forward to more!” whereupon their coxie Dan Thompson exclaimed, as he ran away, “No way they are throwing me in the water! They’ll have to catch me first!” This race capped off an exciting and successful day of racing for the entire Jr. Boys crew.
SUNDAY
Jr. B 2x: BCS A: Kelen and Dan BCS B: Cam and Seb	A big day for the Jr. Boys crew started with the heats for the Jr. Boys double. This race was a vicious 3-heat race with two crews going to the final. Both Dan Bester and Kelen Epp, and Sebastian Kallos and Cam Gilham qualified for the final. They knew that the condition and the ability to steer would play a huge factor in the final outcome. Even though Kelen and Dan qualified with a faster time than C-Bass and Cam, the big money was on the big-guys! Unfortunately, the wind and the tide played against both crews. Both these crews are good friends off the water, but the gloves were off when they were on the water! They collided on the way down the course and made the race incredibly exciting for coaches and parents alike! Sebastian and Cam finished the race; and Dan and Kelen finished a very strong 3^rd. Kelen was quoted as saying, “This is a tried and tested case of brains beating brawn!” Where upon C-Bass grabbed his Didgeridoo and played a soulful song to express his feelings.
Jr. B 8+: Dan Thompson, Dan Bester, Jason Pasnak, Kelen Epp, Dylan Wood, Ollie Greenberg, Luke McClellan, Liam Harrison, Geoff Friderichs	This was a very important race for this crew hoping to compete at St. Catharines. They rowed a gutsy race with heart and determination. They finished a very impressive second place to the defending National Champions. They are an incredibly exciting crew that is determined to train hard to make up the difference and take vengeance in St. Catharines!
Jr. B JV 8+: Andrew, Cooper, Nick, Dan M, Mark S., Brenden, Wells, Mark A-N	You may recognize this crew as the Jr. B Novice Gold medal winners – that’s right! They were trying to make the magic happen again in a new category. And they did! They had a great race, but came up 2^nd to a slightly stronger crew. This was their last race, and an incredibly strong performance. They have much to be proud of!

As you can see from the all the races that these Jr. Boys were involved in, there was a lot of co-operation, learning and good, clean racing (except for the colliding doubles!). For many, this was their last regatta and they performed in crews that they had wanted to prove themselves in – and that they did. The Jr. B Novice 8+ has much to be proud of! For those heading to St. Catharines, the athletes learned more about what they needed to do over the next few weeks to succeed. It is an exciting time moving forward from this regatta as these great athletes move forward to the Canadian Championships!

Garth Nichols

Senior Boys Programme coached by: Mr. Brian Carr, Mrs. Pat Kelly and Mr. Adam Cota

Senior Double Ambrose Carr and Noah McColl	After the Brentwood Regatta these two young men needed to find some more power. They went to the ‘Admiral’ to ask for advice on rigging the boat. He came to the boathouse with rigger stick in hand and fine-tuned the boat by changing a few of the riggers and blades around and in the end found the speed needed to be successful over a long distance race. In the heat, they were pitted against the St. Georges double that beat them in the finals of the Brentwood Regatta. Ambrose wanted to beat them in the final to see what their boat speed was all about. In the final, Noah pushed their bow out in front by striking a higher cadence than had been done in the past. In the end, the Brentwood double won by a mere .47 second. In three weeks, it will be a barn burner in St.Catharines if the two crews make it to the finals.
Senior Coxed four David Summers, Elliot Wiechula, Johnny Toews, Geordie Hayhoe, Josh Hollenberg	With Johnny’s back not being too comfortable in the afternoons, we have been unable to train in this combination. They raced an uncomfortable race and finished 5^th out of six boats. More experience in the small boats will help.
Senior Lightweight Coxed four Chris Turyk, Max King, Nick Chesterley, Patrick Johnston, Mike Mains	This young crew faced tough competition against exceptional crews from St .Georges and Shawnigan. Finishing 4^th behind these two crews and Gorge Rowing Centre shows how much work has to be done next year to get the boats up to speed to challenge at this level.
Senior Lightweight Eight David Summers, Max King, Nick Chesterley, Patrick Johnston, Mike Mains, Charles Angle, Dylan Wood, Oliver Greenberg, Liam Harrison	Rowing in the Senior JV category for the first time together in this combination. We were pleasantly surprised with the speed they were able to generate. The crew were able to stay close to a very fast Brentwood Jr. B eight for the last 500 meters of the race. This crew demonstrates that there is a good nucleus of lightweights for the next few years.
Senior JV 4+ Warren Lewis. Tyler Dietrich, Elliot Wiechula, Jeff Ulmer, Johannes Buschling	One of the crew members did not read the memo on when he was supposed to be at the course and so missed the race. Elliot Wiechula jumped in and stroked the boat from the other side he is used to rowing on. The crew raced as well as they could, finishing the course without losing an oarsman. This is the last race for these athletes for the year. We will be doing some sculling development for the last month of the season.
Senior Pair Adam Bensted and Adam Erickson	This crew was racing for the first time. In the heat, the pair raced around many boats that were all over the place. Finishing third out of the six boats got them to the finals. In the finals, we had to replace Adam Erickson with Ambrose due to Adam's extreme exhaustion from the previous eight race. In the final, Ambrose raced down the course at a 34 with Adam B following. Overtaking two of the crews that beat them in the heats, they finished with the bronze medal.
Senior Eight Chris Turyk, Noah McColl, Ambrose Carr, Joni Toews, Geordie Hayhoe, Adam Bensted, Adam Erickson, Elliot Wiechula, Josh Hollenberg	The Senior men’s eight race has been one of the most exciting races all season, and Sunday was no exception. VCRC came down the course striking a 36 with the Brentwood, Shawnigan, Vancouver College and St .Georges crews chased valiantly after them. With 100 meters left in the race, there was still a fight for the medals. As the flags dropped and the horns sounded, Vic City was first followed by Shawnigan, Brentwood, Vancouver College and St. Georges. There was 2 seconds between Shawnigan and Brentwood, 1 second to Vancouver College and 1.2 seconds to St. Georges. Considering we had four novice athletes in the boat (who are now no longer novice) we have gained considerably on the competition. The guys in the crew are looking forward to the next few weeks and the hard training leading up to the national finals.
Senior Novice Single Ross Gilmour	Ross participated in this regatta to represent the school in this event. With the lack of novice events, this was the only race we were able to enter him in for the regatta. On the Saturday night he went into the heats with a never-say-die attitude. He certainly did not and with two of his competitors flipping en route Ross finished third and qualified for the Sunday final. In the final, he was less fortunate and found himself in the water half way down the course. We are pleased with his evident determination and we hope he has enjoyed his experiences this year.
Senior JV 4X+ (Quad) David Summers, Ben Higgs, Tom Holland, Mike Mains, Patrick Johnston	Finishing second to crews that are training six days a week in this competition is an amazing feat. Tom and Ben came off the rugby pitch from the day before and Mike, Patrick and David came off two very difficult races in the lightweight division the day before. This was a straight final and the crew eventually lost to the crew that won the Brentwood Regatta. The highlight of the event was the fact that they beat the quad that beat Mike and the boys at the Brentwood Regatta. Great way to finish off the season.

Junior Girls Programme coached by Mrs. Debbie Sage and Mrs. Suzanne Walker-Curry

Girls Jr. B Novice 2x Jess Kosa, Kristine Friesen	These two girls were the surprise result for the junior programme. They raced hard in the heat and finished a strong third, just missing out on a spot in the final. The best thing about this was that they had only rowed together 3 times before racing.
Girls Jr B JV 4+ Sara Gray, Kristine Friesen, Natasha Zadra, Gillian Hunter, Jess Kosa	The girls raced in a category above to challenge their skills and did very well. They held their own in the heat and qualified for the final. It was great to see them rise to the challenge of this event as it was for experienced crews.
Girls Jr. B 4+ & Jr A JV 4+ Sarah Bell, Annabelle Glass, Stef Kelly, Tessa Felix, Kelly Heeringa	This was the first time this crew has raced together since March and it was a test of their abilities in preparation for the National Championships. It was a solid race for the girls and a learning experience. The fourth place finish in the final was not what we were hoping for, but the girls turn ed the boat around and raced the JV 4+ less than half an hour later. The second race was much stronger and the confidence was building in the crew.
Girls Jr A JV 8+ Sarah Bell, Jessie Helfrich, Sarah Williams, Annabelle Glass, Tessa Felix, Stef Kelly, Sarah Rosen, Lindsay Rinning, Kelly Heeringa	This was the team that we referred to as our crackerjack crew, combining the quad from the senior girls with the junior girls. Having never practiced before this group of girls went out and rowed very hard against some crews that will be going to the National Championships. Their third place finish was very exciting and we only wish we could have practiced more together.
Girls Jr. B Novice 4X+ Sara Gray, Kristine Friesen, Jess Kosa, Sammy Hall, Sam Woolman	A last-minute change in this crew was made because two of the original members were away winning a silver medal at the ISA Soccer tournament, we were lucky to have two wonderful Grade 8 girls join us for the heat. The girls raced very well, but were unable to qualify for the finals. We look forward to having the Grade 8’s join the junior programme next year — they are a great group of girls.
Girls Jr. B 2X Annabelle Glass, Kelly Heeringa	After a long wind delay before the heat of this race, Kelly and Annabelle had the best race of their lives and finished second in their heat to qualify for the final. The final was very tough and the girls finish a solid 5th beating the crew that beat them in the heat. This result is very impressive since there were 24 boats in this event.
Girls Jr. B JV 8+ Sara Gray, Stef Kelly, Tessa Felix, Kristine Friesen, Natasha Zadra, Liz Cosulich, Gillian Hunter, Abby Rosen, Jess Kosa	This was a great race to finish the regatta and the season. The novice girls came together as a group and raced up a category to claim 3rd place. The girls have not rowed together in an 8+ since early March and did a wonderful job. It was a pleasure to work with such fine young athletes and present them with their well deserved ribbons.

The Junior Girls had a very busy weekend of racing at the Shawnigan Regatta. Both of us are very proud and happy with the results of the small but mighty group of girls! We would like to thank the novice girls for their continued effort and support for the programme throughout the year. They had some great results this weekend and finished the racing season on a positive note. We would like to wish the junior girls that are continuing their training all the best at the National Championships in June. We know that the hard work and best wishes from the novice girls will bring success.

Debbie Sage