Competition/ Nov 13

Weekend Wrap: Ontario Universities Compete in CURC

The last race of the 2023 rowing season for Ontario rowers and coaches took place over the weekend in Burnaby, BC at the 2023 Canadian University Rowing Championships.

A total of 20 university programs, including ten from Ontario, from across the country competed in the two-day event, which featured 12 medal events, 297 athletes and 153 total boat entries. Two BC schools were the class of the regatta, as the UBC Thunderbirds claimed the men’s national banner, while the Victoria Vikes won the women’s championship. Each program won their respective championship for the second consecutive year. The top-placing Ontario school was the Brock Badgers, who placed second overall in the men’s standings, while the Queen’s Gaels finished third overall in the women’s standings.

In the men’s side of the draw, Brock earned the most medals from an Ontario school with four (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), followed by Queen’s (3 bronze) and the Western Mustangs (1 silver, 2 bronze) who had three apiece. Queen’s (1 gold, 2 bronze) and Western (1 gold, 2 bronze) each claimed three medals on the women’s side and were joined by Brock and the Ottawa Gee-Gees on the podium as both schools won a gold medal.

The Gee-Gee’s gold was won by Kennedy Burrows in the women’s single, who was named Women’s Athlete of the Year following the event. Stephen Harris of the Brock Badgers was recognized as Men’s Athlete of the Year, capping off an outstanding five-year career with the Badgers. Western coach Dan Bechard was also recognized with the CURC’s President’s Award.

Women’s Final Point Standings
Victoria – 108
UBC – 100
Queen’s – 91
Western – 78
Brock – 31
Toronto – 30
Calgary – 29
Guelph – 25
Dalhousie – 20
Ottawa – 15
McMaster – 7

Men’s Final Point Standings
UBC – 123
Brock – 100
Victoria – 90
Western – 83
Queen’s – 48
Calgary – 38
McGill – 29
Dalhousie – 9
McMaster – 8
Guelph – 7

Individual Major Awards
Women’s Athlete of the Year – Kennedy Burrows (Ottawa)
Men’s Athlete of the Year – Stephen Harris (Brock)
Women’s Team Coach of the Year – Jane Gumley (Victoria)
Men’s Team Coach of the Year – Mike Pearce (UBC)
President’s Award – Dan Bechard (Western)
Above and Beyond Athlete of the Year – Jack Harding (StFX)
Coach Builder of the Year – Courtney Amilee (Calgary)

Women’s Medal Races
Women’s Lightweight Pair
1 Brock – 7:38.870; 2 UBC – 7:39.718; 3 Victoria – 7:53.629

Women’s Pair
1 UBC – 7:34.495; 2 Victoria – 7:37.308; 3 Queen’s 7:40.760

Women’s Lightweight Four
1 Queen’s – 7:27.220; 2 Victoria – 7:30.491; 3 Western – 7:35.901

Women’s Single
1 Western – 8:10.320; 2 Victoria – 8:14.163; 3 UBC – 8:17.761

Women’s Lightweight Single
1 Ottawa – 8:05.025; 2 Dalhousie – 8:08.043; 3 Queen’s – 8:08.392

Women’s Eight
1 Victoria – 6:31.062; 2 UBC – 6:34.109; 3 Western – 6:34.434

Men’s Medal Races
Men’s Single
1 UBC – 7:21.660; 2 Brock – 7:29.013; 3 Western – 7:36.538

Men’s Lightweight Single
1 Victoria – 7:21.756; 2 UBC – 7:24.784; 3 Brock – 7:27.225

Men’s Eight
1 UBC – 5:45.198; 2 Victoria 5:48.914; 3 Western 5:52.590

Men’s Lightweight Pair
1 Brock – 6:41.263; 2 UBC – 6:43.543; Queen’s – 6:46.483

Men’s Pair
1 UBC – 6:43.808; 2 Western – 6:48.227; 3 Queen’s – 6:51.645

Men’s Lightweight Four
1 Brock – 6:32.997; 2 UBC – 6:34.921; 3 Queen’s – 6:41.542