Weekend Wrap: Early Bird Regatta Kicks Off Rowing Season
The 2024 regatta season began in earnest in St. Catharines on Sunday as the St. Catharines Rowing Club’s Early Bird Regatta took place on the Henley Course.
A total of 23 high school rowing programs participated in the regatta with a total of 93 entries. Many of the schools came from the Niagara region with a lead time of approximately a month (or less) since they got back on the water after the winter. The competitors raced in singles, doubles, pairs, quads, fours and eights in men’s, women’s and mixed junior, senior and novice divisions. Of the 23 schools competing, 15 earned first place finishes in events that had more than one entrant. Blessed Trinity (Grimsby), Eden HS (St. Catharines), and Branksome Hall (Toronto) earned the most gold medals with three each, followed by Ridley College (St. Catharines), Sir Winston Churchill (St. Catharines), and St. Paul CSS (Niagara Falls) with two each.
Other schools earning first place finishes on Sunday were West Niagara SS (Grimsby), Denis Morris (St. Catharines), St. Francis (St. Catharines), Port Credit (Mississauga), Sir Frederick Banting (London), St. Michael CSS (Niagara Falls), Oakville Trafalgar, Philip Pocock (Mississauga), and St. Joseph’s (Toronto).
Men’s Winners
Junior Men’s 2x: Churchill 7:06
Junior Men’s 4+: Denis Morris (no time)
Junior Men’s 72kg 8+: Blessed Trinity 6:53
Senior Men’s 1x: Philip Pocock 7:53
Senior Men’s 72kg 1x: Blessed Trinity 8:01
Senior Men’s 2-: Eden 7:06
Senior Men’s 2x: Ridley (Winterbottom) 7:07
Senior Men’s 4x: Ridley College 6:19
Senior Men’s 8+: West Niagara 6:27
Women’s Winners
Novice Women’s 4x+: St. Francis 8:28
Novice Women’s 8+: Branksome 7:41
Junior Women’s 1x: Eden (Bartel) 8:24
Junior Women’s 2x: Banting 8:20
Junior Women’s 4+: Branksome 7:49
Junior Women’s 63kg 4+: Branksome (no time)
Junior Women’s 8+: Branksome (Stewart) 7:07
Senior Women’s 1x: St. Joseph 8:19
Senior Women’s 63kg 1x: Churchill (Frick) 8:12
Senior Women’s 2x: Saint Michael 7:58
Senior Women’s 2-: Blessed Trinity 7:58
Senior Women’s 4x: Eden 7:33
Senior Women’s 63kg 2x: Port Credit 7:59
Senior Women’s 8+: Branksome 7:06
Mixed Winners
Mixed 2x: Saint Paul 7:45
Mixed 4x: Saint Paul 8:12
For more information on the Early Bird Regatta please visit Regatta Central.
Photo is property of St. Catharines Rowing Club
