Announcement/ Feb 24

Voting Opens for Row Ontario’s Performance of the Year Award

Voting for Row Ontario’s Performance of the Year Award is now open and features a group of seven nominees who had outstanding performances in 2025!

The Performance of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding performance in a regatta by a member or members of the Ontario rowing community. The outstanding performance in a regatta may be held in Ontario or elsewhere.

The winner of the Performance of the Year Award is chosen by an online vote. So, it’s up to YOU to decide the winner!

The nominees and a description of their outstanding performances are found below. Read through the nominees and cast your vote below! Voting is open to everyone in the Ontario rowing community. Please limit one vote per person.

Voting for the Performance of the Year award will close on Friday, Feb. 27 at 4pm. The winner of the Performance of the Year Award will be announced along with the rest of the 2025 Row Ontario Award winners on Monday, March 2. Don’t miss your chance to vote!

Nominees

Katharine Myler (c), Marisha Roman, Kelley Ainley, Tracy Brooks, Natalie Mills, Tara Hunter, Kate Cochrane Brink, Jeany Ellis, Tracey Black

Club: Toronto Sculling Club
Regatta: 2025 Head of the Charles
Results: 1st place – Masters Women’s Eight 50+

This crew have been rowing together for several years, competing at many events around the rowing world. They saved perhaps their best performances together for this year, as they won their class at the Heineken Regatta in Amsterdam and at the San Diego Crew Classic.

Their most impressive performance however was at the Head of the Charles where this crew won the 50+ Women’s 8+, setting a new course record. In this race, they were so fast that they caught and passed 4 Men’s crew in the previous race. Their time was fast enough to have won the 40+ Women’s 8+ and to have placed second in the 30+ Women’s 8+. Truly a magnificent race, and fantastic cap on a great season.

(Mentions at 2:44 and 2:46)

Julia Teixeira

Club: Queen’s University Rowing
Regatta: 2025 Canadian University Rowing Championships
Results: 1st place – LWT 4+, 1st place – LWT 2x, 2nd place – LWT 1x

Julia’s performance at the 2025 Canadian University Rowing Championships was incredible. Over the course of 4.5 hours, she collected two gold and one silver medal, in the lightweight 2x, lightweight 4+, and lightweight 1x respectively. Most athletes only enter in one or two events at the regatta, and any medal is a big accomplishment. To win three medals at the regatta is astounding, especially considering the tough conditions on the water over the course of the event. Importantly, in the lightweight 1x, her third final of the day, she managed to finish only 3 seconds behind first place after already winning two gold medals that day. To be able to perform consistently, at the highest level, even when fatigued from multiple tough races already marks her performance at CURC as particularly exceptional.

Kairsin Frick, Dayun Kong, Anna Cumming, Logan Webb

Club: St. Catharines Rowing Club
Regatta: 2025 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta
Results: 1st place – U23 LWT 4-, 1st place – Senior LWT 4-

This was a tough, competitive, and very talented crew, with a work ethic that was second to none. These women regularly crossed the finish line ahead of many talented open weight crews at regattas throughout the year, including the ERA’s in Montreal and the 2025 RowOn Championships in Welland, where they won the Open LWT gold medal. They save their best performance of an outstanding for their home course at the 2025 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, where they won both the U23 and Senior LWT 4- gold medals in a great performance.

Ashlyn Fehr

Club: Niagara Falls Rowing Club (Team Ontario)
Regatta: 2025 Canada Cup Regatta
Results: 1st place – W1x, 1st place – W4-, 3rd place – Mix8+

Ashlyn was a top performer at the 2025 Canada Cup Regatta, where she captured three medals for Team Ontario. After completing nine months of training in large boats at Monmouth University, she returned to train at the Niagara Falls Rowing Club for six weeks with the goal of qualifying for Team Ontario at the 2025 Canada Cup. She quickly pivoted to smaller boat training in the lead up to the event and excelled on the race course in London, ON. She earned a gold medal in the women’s single, a gold in the women’s four and a bronze in the mixed eight. Ashlyn was a proud member of the Team Ontario and was instrumental in helping win the points trophy at the event for Team Ontario. She was also the only member of Team Ontario to earn two gold medals at the regatta.

Brock University Men’s Rowing Team

Team Members: Joe Coughler, Euan Coulson, Sawyer Dalton, Serafina Dell, Connor Dodds, Ivan Fernandez, Stephen Harris, Donovan Harris-Coutu, Maddox Harrison, Ethan Mason, Jonas Masys, Braeden Miltenburg, Christian Moise, Andrew Nawrocki, Shawn Nesbit, Sam Parlatore, Daniel Phillips, Ethan Postma, Charles Tabet, Riley Watson, Arden White, Griffin Wick, Keithan Woodhouse

Club: Brock Rowing
Regatta: Ontario University Rowing Championships
Results: 1st place – Championship Banner Winners

The Brock Badgers men’s rowing team captured their fifth consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship banner, for the first time in program history. A five-year streak in men’s championships has not been completed since the 1990’s by another school.

At the 2025 OUA Championships, the Badgers combined for 511 points to finish first overall, including nine podium finishes in ten events, securing five golds, two silvers, and two bronze medals. This year’s championship banner may have been the most impressive during their five year reign atop the OUA.

Maxim Froeschl, Jack Coulson, Henrik Neuspiel, Myles Quinton

Club(s): Ottawa Rowing Club / Niagara Falls Rowing Club
Regatta: 2025 International Challenge Regatta
Results: 1st place – M4x

Team Canada’s Gold in the Men’s 4x at the International Challenge Regatta was an important one, not only for the competitors, but also for their home clubs, Ontario and the greater Canadian rowing community. It speaks to the importance of collaboration amongst clubs and how strong bonds can be built across rowing communities.

Throughout their training in advance of the event the crew had their eyes on the Mexican Team, who looked good in practice sessions. Out of the gates the Canadian crew had a slow start, starting the race in four as the Mexican crew was in the lead. However, the tide in the race would turn as the Canadians gradually increased their stroke rate and were out in front with 250m to go. Their steady and confident race would lead to gold as they held on to the lead and delighted the Canadian supporters in the crowd.

The crew members also competed in other events at the regatta as all four won silver in the Mixed 8+, and Henrik and Myles won bronze in the Men’s 2x.

Carolyn Jaeger, Andrea Mutsaers, Brian Peaker, Volker Nolte

Club: London Western Rowing Club
Regatta: 2025 World Rowing Masters Regatta
Results: 10 medals – 8 gold, 2 silver

In September, four members of the London Western Rowing Club—Carolyn Jaeger, Andrea Mutsaers, Brian Peaker, and Volker Nolte—traveled to Banyoles, Spain to compete at the 2025 World Masters Regatta. This prestigious international event featured 5,418 entries from 745 clubs around the world, creating an exceptionally competitive field.

Competing in ten events across singles, doubles, pairs, straight four and the mixed quad, the team earned a medal in every race. Their results included eight gold medals in the doubles, pairs, 4- and mixed quad events, as well as silver medals in the single and mixed double. Their consistency and dominance across such a wide range of boat classes is a rare accomplishment at a regatta of this scale. By the end of the week, even the race announcers highlighted “the dominance of the athletes in purple and orange” from Ontario Canada.

Perhaps most remarkable is that, with only four athletes, London Western Rowing Club finished tied for 30th overall out of 748 participating clubs. Their performance showcased exceptional athleticism, meticulous preparation, and a clear team synergy—an extraordinary achievement demonstrating the tremendous impact a small but dedicated crew can have on the world stage.