Weekend Wrap: South Niagara Invite Highlights Victoria Day Weekend

The Victoria Day weekend featured two days of rowing action from the South Course of the Welland International Flatwater Centre as the South Niagara Invitational took place on Saturday and Sunday.

The annual event featured 406 entries from 39 clubs and programs across Ontario and the US. The high school-aged participants were representing either their home community club or school, with 35 coming from Ontario and four schools from nearby Buffalo. The competitors raced in everything from singles to eights in novice, junior, and senior open and lightweight divisions. The 406 entries represented a huge increase from the 237 in 2022, when the event returned from a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

EL Crossley S.S. had the most entries in the regatta with 48 and brought home the most medals with 23. The high school rowing powerhouse showed they’re in fine form just two weeks away from the CSSRA Championships winning 14 gold, four silver and five bronze medals. Coming in second in the medal tally was the Peterborough Rowing Club, who had a solid regatta earning 12 medals, including seven golds as well as two silvers and three bronze. The Argonaut Rowing Club was next with ten medals (3 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze), followed by Branksome Hall (4 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) and Havergal College (2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze) with eight apiece. Rounding out the top-6 was Upper Canada College with seven medals (2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze).

The host South Niagara Rowing Club was also represented with four entries, plus many other club rowers competing with high school programs. The SNRC won three medals in their four entries as Julia Teixeira and Clara Van Dyk finished first and second respectively in the senior women’s 1x, then teamed up to earn the gold medal senior women’s 2x.

For full results from the South Niagara Invitational, visit RegattaCentral.

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

Photo is property of the South Niagara Rowing Club