Crossley rows to championship
Switch to ‘high school-age’ eligibility opens competition to home-schooled athletes
E.L. Crossley was the host with the most at the South Niagara Invitational Regatta on the weekend in Welland.
Only the points championship in girls events won by Branksome Hall from Toronto prevented the Fonthill high school from sweeping the three major team awards at the two-day competition that wrapped up Sunday.
Crossley was the top pointgetter in boys events and set the pace in points overall to win the Emily Brettell Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row.
The top prize at the final warmup to the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association championships next month in St. Catharines honours the memory of a Crossley rower and South Niagara Rowing Club (SNRC) member who died of a heart attack at age 17 two years ago.
In all, 54 clubs combined to send 561 entries to the starting line on the Great Dain course.
Crossley had the most topthree finishes with 21. Cyclone crews won 10 gold medals, five silver and six bronze.
Branksome Hall was second with 13 medals — seven gold, four silver, two bronze — while the Argonaut and Don rowing clubs finished the competition with 12 and 11 medals, respectively.
Clubs were allowed to compete at a regatta formerly called the High School Invitational following a change in eligibility requirements. Instead of limiting entries to high school crews, “high school-age” athletes from club teams were permitted to participate.
“We wanted to be more inclusive, we wanted to give athletes who are home-schooled a chance to take part,” SNRC vicepresident Helen Taylor said.
High schools with small crews were encouraged to attend by opening the competition to composite and mixed crews.
“It’s to help those school smaller clubs to make it worth their while to attend,” she said. “If they can put together a boat with athletes from two or more clubs, that means more rowing for everyone.
“Most of these kids will have rowed together in practice already.”
Boats from 10 other high schools from the region rowed to at least one medal, with Sir Winston Churchill earning the second-most medals locally with five: three silver, two bronze.
Denis Morris won a gold, a silver and a bronze, Notre Dame a gold and bronze, Welland Centennial two silvers, and Eden a silver and a bronze.
St. Paul, gold; St. Michael, silver; Holy Cross, bronze; Jean Vanier, bronze; and Ridley College, bronze; won one medal each.
Following are the top three in each of the finals, as well the finishes of clubs from the region:
Day 1
Senior women’s pair: 1. Don Rowing Club, 7:43.997; 2. Argonaut Rowing Club, 3. E.L. Crossley, 4. Branksome Hall, 5. Governor Simcoe, 6. Welland Centennial.
Senior men’s coxed four: 1. St. Joseph’s Collegiate, 6:43.890; 2. Canisius, 3. Argonaut.
Junior women’s single: 1. St. Paul, 8:41.403; 2. Don, 3. Don, 4. Crossley, 5. A.N. Myer.
Junior boys double: 1. Crossley, 7:09.993; 2. St. Michael, 3. Eden, 4. St. Francis.
Senior girls 63 kg eight: 1. Branksome, 7:01.578; 2. Westdale, 3. Havergal.
Senior boys pair: 1. Argonaut, 7:06.315; 2. Argonaut, 3. St.
Marys.
Junior girls 59 kg quad: 1. Branksome, 7:47.650; 2. Churchill, 3. Don, 5. Lakeshore, 6. Centennial.
Junior boys single: 1. Don, 7:50.172; 2. Don, 3. Crossley, 4. Vanier, 6. Vanier.
Senior girls coxed four: 1. Branksome, 7:26.082; 2. Havergal,
3. City Honors, 4. Simcoe.
Senior boys 72 kg single: 1. John F. Ross, 7:13.340; 2. Crossley,
3. Vanier, 4. Myer, 6. Simcoe. Junior girls coxed 63 kg four: 1. Branksome, 7:53.924; 2. Centennial, 3. Branksome, 4. Crossley.
Junior boys coxed 72 kg four: 1. Canisius, 6:56.815; 2. Churchill, 3. Crossley; 4. Denis Morris.
Senior girls quad: 1. Don, 7:08.352; 2. Argonaut, 3. Argonaut, 5. Crossley, 6. Vanier-Lakeshore-Centennial, composite.
Senior boys 72 kg eight: 1. Upper Canada, 6:07.881; 2. Canisius.
Junior girls double: 1. Notre Dame, 8:06.653; 2. Westdale, 3. Don, 4. Crossley.
Junior boys 66 kg quad: 1. Crossley, 6:53.010; 2. Eden, 3. Denis Morris, 4. St. Francis, 6. Churchill.
Senior girls 63 kg single: 1. St. Marys, 8:05.996; 2. Argonaut,
3. Stewart Secondary, 4. Denis Morris, 5. Holy Cross, 6. Lakeshore.
Senior boys quad: 1. London, 6:22.629; 2. Argonaut, 3. Crossley,
5. Vanier-Lakeshore-Centennial, composite; 6. Myer.
Junior girls eight: 1. Havergal, 7:09.824; 2. Branksome, 3. Mount St. Marys.
Junior boys eight: 1. St. Joseph’s, 2. Upper Canada, 3. Crossley.
“We wanted to be more inclusive, we wanted to give athletes who are home-schooled a chance to take part.” HELEN TAYLOR South Niagara Rowing Club vice-president
Day 2
Senior girls 63 kg double: 1.
Crossley, 8:00.156; 2. St. Marys, 3. Crossley.
Senior boys single: 1. John F. Ross, 7:45.005; 2. Argonaut, 3. John F. Ross, 4. Vanier.
Junior girls quad: 1. Don, 7:55.637; 2. Crossley, 3. Branksome, 6. Myer.
Junior boys 72 kg eight: 1. Crossley, 6:42.859; 2. Denis Morris, 3. St. Joseph’s, 4. Eden, 6. Churchill.
Senior boys 59 kg quad: 1. Crossley, 8:11.014, 2. Crossley, 3. Buffalo Scholastic.
Senior boys 72 kg double: 1. Canisius, 6:56.815; 2. Churchill, 3. Crossley, 4. Denis Morris.
Junior girls coxed four: 1. Branksome, 8:06.824; 2. Branksome, 3. Holy Cross, 5. Denis Morris.
Senior girls coxed 63 kg four:
1. Crossley, 7:59.878; 2. Branksome, 3. Westdale, 6. Notre Dame.
Senior boys 66 kg quad: 1. Crossley, 7:11.298; 2. Canisius, 3. Churchill.
Junior boys coxed four: 1. Crossley, 7:14.080; 2. City Honors,
3. St. Joseph’s, 4. Beamsville. Senior girls double: 1. Don, 7:50.325; 2. Centennial, 3. Stewart Secondary, 4. Crossley.
Senior boys double: 1. Crossley, 6:59.673; 2. Argonaut, 3. London, 6. Lakeshore-Centennial, composite.
Junior girls 63 kg eight: 1. Branksome, 7:25.482; 2. Branksome, 3. Churchill, 5. Centennial,
6. Crossley.
Senior girls single: 1. St. Peter, 8:23.054; 2. St. Marys, 3. Don,
5. Myer.
Senior boys coxed 72 kg four:
1. Canisius, 6:54.268; 2. Upper Canada, 3. Argonaut, 5. Crossley.
Junior boys quad: 1. Don, 6:56.679; 2. Crossley, 3. Ridley, 4. Crossley, 5. Eden, 6. Blessed Trinity.
Senior girls eight: 1. Branksome, 7:06.718; 2. Crossley, 3. Havergal, 5. Churchill.
Senior boys eight: 1. Crossley, 6:11.120; 2. Upper Canada, 3. Argonaut, 5. Simcoe.
Mixed double: 1. John F. Ross, 7:36.605; 2. St. Marys, 3. London,
4. Centennial, 5. Holy Cross. Mixed quad: 1. Don, 7:13.115; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas, 3. Notre Dame, 5. Lakeshore.
Mixed eight: 1. Denis Morris, 7:51.984; 2. Bishop Tonnos.