Weekend Wrap: Ontario Rowers Deliver Solid Performances at NRC’s

The 2021 rowing season wrapped up over the weekend at the 2021 National Rowing Championships, which took place at Elk Lake in Victoria, BC. This year’s edition of the event was the first national regatta held since 2019.

Ontario rowers, who travelled across the country to compete in Victoria, were well represented at the event with 48 entries out of the 190+ athletes who competed. The rowers competed in singles and pairs events throughout busy racing days on Friday and Saturday and braved challenging conditions which saw rain in the forecast on both days. In total, 19 medal events were held, with Ontario athletes bringing home a total of 18 medals. Rowers from Ontario either competed for Row Ontario or their home club at the event.

Medal winners for Ontario included Stephen Harris, who was one of the NRC’s few double gold medalists, winning a gold in both the lightweight and U23 lightweight men’s single sculls. Grace VandenBroek also brought home two medals, winning gold in the U23 women’s single sculls as well as silver in the open event. Other double medalists from Ontario included Sam Stewart (Gold – U23 M1x, Silver – M1x), William Simpson (Silver – U23 M1x, Bronze – M1x), and Stephen Rosts & Adam Krol (Silver – M2-, Silver – U23 M2-). Wrapping up the Ontario medalists in the Open and U23 events were Shannon Kennedy, who took home the bronze in the women’s singles sculls and Hailey Mercuri who also won bronze in the U23 women’s single sculls.

In junior action, the Ontario athletes swept the podium in the junior men’s single sculls event, with Payton Gauthier winning the national championship over Giancarlo DiPompeo who finished second, and Owen Bartel who finished third. Cait Whittard also brought home a gold medal, winning the junior women’s single sculls event, finishing five seconds ahead of Autumn Crowe who won the silver. Jacquie Groenewegen & Ava Semeniuk also won a bronze medal in the junior women’s pair.

Four trophies named after RCA alumni were awarded to the National Champions in the men’s and women’s singles and pairs, while another trophy recognized the top Para athlete performance (winners listed in the results below).

National Rowing Championships Results

Women’s Single Sculls
Marilou Duvernay Tardif (QC) – Gold *Silken Laumann Plate winner
Grace VandenBroek (ON) – Silver
Shannon Kennedy (ON) – Bronze

U23 Women’s Single Sculls
Grace VandenBroek (ON) – Gold
Katie Clark (BC) – Silver
Hailey Mercuri (ON) – Bronze

Junior Women’s Single Sculls
Cait Whittard (ON) – Gold
Autumn Crowe (ON) – Silver
Leah Miller (MB) – Bronze

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls
Karissa Riley (AB) – Gold
Mary Law (BC) – Silver
Ehren Paterson (BC) – Bronze

U23 Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls
Karissa Riley (AB) – Gold
Mary Law (BC) – Silver
Ehren Paterson (BC) – Bronze

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls
Ebba Einarsson (BC) – Gold
Sierra Roth (AB) – Silver
Stacey Tetz (BC) – Bronze

PR2 Women’s Single Sculls
Jessye Brockway (BC) – Gold *Lagoa Rio Trophy winner

Men’s Single Sculls
Curtis Ames (AB) – Gold *Derek Porter Trophy winner
Sam Stewart (ON) – Silver
William Simpson (ON) – Bronze

U23 Men’s Single Sculls
Sam Stewart (ON) – Gold
William Simpson (ON) – Silver
Andrew Hubbard (AB) – Bronze

Junior Men’s Single Sculls
Payton Gauthier (ON) – Gold
Giancarlo DiPompeo (ON) – Silver
Owen Bartel (ON) – Bronze

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls
Stephen Harris (ON) – Gold
Thomas Markewich (SK) – Silver
Emerson Crick (NS) – Bronze

U23 Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls
Stephen Harris (ON) – Gold
Thomas Markewich (SK) – Silver
Emerson Crick (NS) – Bronze

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls
Mike Sienen (BC) – Gold
David Sagal (AB) – Silver

Women’s Pair
Kirsten Edwards & Alexis Cronk (BC) – Gold *Kathleen Heddle & Marnie McBean Plate winners
Olivia McMurray & Kendra Hartley (AB) – Silver
Jessie Loutit & Karen Lefsrud (AB) – Bronze

U23 Women’s Pair
Kirsten Edwards & Alexis Cronk (BC) – Gold
Shaya De Paiva & Gabrielle Yarema (AB) – Silver
Mikaela Holthuis (AB) & Nicole Cusack (BC) – Bronze

Junior Women’s Pair
Gabriella Worobec (AB) & Stella Fraser (BC) – Gold
Mira Calder & Teagan Anne Blue (BC) – Silver
Jacquie Groenewegen & Ava Semeniuk (ON) – Bronze

Men’s Pair
Peter Lancashire & Jack Walkey (BC) – Gold *George Hungerford & Roger Jackson Trophy winners
Steven Rosts & Adam Krol (ON) – Silver
Alexander Gonin & Mattijs Holler (BC) – Bronze

U23 Men’s Pair
Peter Lancashire & Jack Walkey (BC) – Gold
Steven Rosts & Adam Krol (ON) – Silver
Alexander Gonin & Mattijs Holler (BC) – Bronze

Junior Men’s Pair
Grayson Laycock & Max Pally (SK) – Gold
Alexander Joiner & Ellington Peacock (BC) – Silver
Edison Luke & Connor Bohlmann (BC) – Bronze

For full results on the National Rowing Championships, please visit RegattaCentral.

Photo Credit: RCA/Kevin Light. This story was completed with source information from RCA.