Competition/ Jan 19

Weekend Wrap: Indoor Regatta Season Starts with Hammer the Erg

Hosted by the Leander Boat Club, the annual Hammer the Erg’ indoor regatta kicked off the 2026 indoor season on Saturday from St. Mary CSS in Hamilton, ON.

The event saw 184 indoor rowers, up from 135 last year, from a total of 15 clubs compete in either 500m, 1km, or 2km races. Most of the competitors came from either Hamilton or Niagara-area clubs and high school programs, with the host Leander leading the way with 40 entries. Age divisions ranged from Bantam to Masters.

Following the conclusion of the event, awards for the top performances from clubs were handed out by age divisions, with West Niagara Secondary School winning the Junior Hammer, Leander Boat Club winning the Masters Hammer, and McMaster University winning the Seniors Hammer. Individual awards were also distributed to the rowers that achieved the furthest distance in the HAMMER Challenge events, with Virginia Gates (Niagara Falls Rowing Club) winning the Women’s Hammer Champ, and Reece Carter (LaSalle Rowing Club) and Jackson Miller (McMastar Marauders) tying for the Men’s Hammer Champ.

Category Winners

Bantam Men (1km): Samuel Schneider – Notre Dame Rowing Club (3:17.4)
Bantam Women (1km): Sofia Stock – Notre Dame Rowing Club (3:52.7)
U17 Men: Owen Berger – LaSalle Rowing Club / Liam Woronchak – Notre Dame Rowing Club (6:58.4)
U17 Women: Mara Suntz – West Niagara SS (8:09.9)
U17 Lightweight Men: Jude Heinrichs – St. Mary’s School (7:13.6)
U17 Lightweight Women: Riley Quintyn – Niagara Falls Rowing Club (8:10.3)
U19 Men: Sam Cooper – Dennis Morris HS (6:32.3)
U19 Women: Virginia Gates – Niagara Falls Rowing Club (7:26.4)
U19 Lightweight Men: Domenico Patitucci – Denis Morris CHS (6:25.5)
U19 Lightweight Women: Lauren Deprez – Niagara Falls Rowing Club (7:47.9)
U23 Men: Jackson Miller – McMaster (6:41.0)
U23 Women: Elizabeth Warner – McMaster (7:55.4)
U23 Lightweight Women: Caitlyn Horton – McMaster (8:24.7)
Novice Men: Elliot Evans – McMaster University (6:29.6)
Novice Women: Madylin Lord – McMaster University (8:22.5)
Coxie Crawl (500m): Sofia Sikka-Patel – McMaster (1:52.9)
Masters Men (1km): Kurt Cushnie – Leander (3:26.0)
Masters Women (1km): Adrienne Vraets – Leander (3:38.4)
Open Women – Sarah Cushnie – McMaster (7:36.3)