M5 plans to row in Harbour Grace

However, makeup of female crew will be determined by severity of stroke’s injury

The M5 women’s crew plans to compete in the 154th Harbour Grace Regatta Saturday after having to withdraw from the women’s championship race in Placentia because of an injury to stroke oar Katie Wadden.

M5, which had posted the top female times in the Discovery Day Regatta and at the Royal St. John’s Regatta time trials earlier this summer, seemed to be poised to do the same last Saturday in the 53rd Placentia Regatta at Southeast Arm, but Wadden suffered what is believed to be a muscle injury to her rib area during the first women’s race of the day, the senior ladies’ amateur.

Despite Wadden’s injury, M5 still won that race, but coxswain Denise Carew said it was eventually decided, for precautionary reasons, not to take part in the Karen Kerrivan ladies’ championship Saturday evening. M5 has a spare rower — Allison Delong — but she was already competing for the team in Placentia because another crewmember was unavailable because of a prior engagement.

The decision means M5 will not be able to win the local Triple Crown of fixed-seat rowing, which continues with the Harbour Grace Regatta at Lady Lake, and the Royal St. John’s Regatta, set for next Wednesday at Quidi Vidi Lake.

Carew says Wadden’s injury is “rowing-specific,” and that her mobility is unaffected, so much so that she was able to compete in Sunday’s Tely 10, finishing fifth in the female division of the road race. Nevertheless, as of Monday, Carew was uncertain whether Wadden would be able to row in Harbour Grace, something that will determined this week in ergomtre workouts. If she can’t go, M5 would still have a full crew with Delong available.

The ladies’ championship in Placentia was won by Cahill Group, which had finished just over two seconds behind M5 in the morning race. St. John’s Port Authority was second.

Outer Cove men’s crew continued its successful 2016 rowing season Saturday, taking the men’s title in Placentia by winning the Adrian Traverse championship race in a time of nine minutes and 29.31 seconds.

It’s the third top finish of the year for the Outer Cove crew, which also had the best clockings in the Discovery Day races and time trials.

As it had been on Discovery Day and the time trials, Lamb’s Rum was the men’s runner-up in Placentia.