Weekend Wrap: RowOn Small Boat Regatta Sees Impressive Performances

The first Row Ontario-hosted regatta of 2023 took place on Saturday as the RowOn Small Boat Regatta was hosted on the South Course of the Welland International Flatwater Centre. The following day a busy weekend in the Niagara region was capped off with the Mother’s Day High School Regatta, hosted by the St. Catharines Rowing Club.  

The conditions in Welland on Saturday catered to some solid early-season performances by the competitors, as the regatta was held under a hazy sky and temperatures in the low 20’s. The day started with time trials at 9:00am, which were followed by afternoon finals in men’s and women’s singles and pairs in U17, U19, U23 and Open divisions. There were over 100 entries in the race from 20 clubs, mostly from Ontario with Quebec and Nova Scotia also sending boats.  

In the men’s single, Lucas Maroney (South Niagara Rowing Club) posted the fastest time of the day by coming in first in A Final with a time of 8:14.54. Maroney topped his next closest competitor by just under ten seconds to pick up the victory. Madeson Scott, also representing the SNRC won the women’s singles A Final in a time of 9:15.77, besting her training mate at the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre Autumn Crowe (Ridley College), by over two seconds.  

The Kingston Rowing Club’s duo of Kyle Nummi and Bob Bryden came out on top in the men’s pair, crossing the finish line in the A Final with a time of 7:54.87. In the women’s pair, twins Isabella and Zoe Durcak (Leander Boat Club) showed their early season form by posting a seven second win in the A Final in a time of 8:58.43.  

In addition to providing a great early season race opportunity for Ontario rowers of all ages, the RowOn Small Boat Regatta served as an on-water measure for athletes attempting selection to the RCA National Team. The rowers were awarded medals for the results in U17, U19, U21, U23 and Open race categories.  

Results 

Men’s Single Overall

1. Lucas Maroney (South Niagara Rowing Club) – 8:14.56
2. Connor Newell (Western University) – 8:24.32
3. Jonathan Cinquina (Brock University) – 8:26.36

Women’s Single Overall

1. Madeson Scott (South Niagara Rowing Club) – 9:15.77
2. Autumn Crowe (Ridley College) – 9:18.04
3. Clara Van Dyk (South Niagara Rowing Club) – 9:18.42

Men’s Pair Overall

1. Kyle Nummi/Bob Bryden (Kingston Rowing Club) – 7:54.15
2. Robert Walsh/Tom Stender (Row Nova Scotia) – 7:59.15
3. Maddox Harrison/Ethan Mason (Brock University) – 8:06.97

Women’s Pair Overall

1. Isabella Durcak/Zoe Durcak (Leander Boat Club) – 8:58.44
2. Makeda Harrison/Ingrid Eshuis (St. Catharines Rowing Club) – 9:05.34
3. Emma Goedhart/Sarah Stacey (Notre Dame Rowing Club) – 9:06.78

For full results on the Row Ontario Small Boat Regatta, visit Regatta Master.  

Meanwhile in St. Catharines on Sunday, 37 high school programs raced down Martindale Pond in boats ranging from singles to eights in the Mother’s Day High School Regatta. The event featured 277 entries, an increase of 65 from 2022, and was a key event for many schools who will race in the CSSRA Championships in just under three weeks.  

Coming away with the most medals were the rowers from EL Crossley S.S. who brought home 14 golds, 5 silvers, and 1 bronze. Up next was Ridley College with tend medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), followed by Branksome Hall (4 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), Upper Canada College (4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) and Sir Winston Churchill S.S. (2 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze) with nine medals apiece.  

For full results from the Mother’s Day High School Regatta, visit RegattaCentral.  

For the full regatta schedule in Ontario, visit the Row Ontario website.