Rowers hope Welland regatta will take them to Vancouver Island
Results will help determine who gets invited to national team selection camp
In September, Owen Bartel will begin rowing and studying geography at University of British Columbia in Vancouver. But the Grade 12 student at Eden High School in St. Catharines hopes to showcase his skills as a sculler in Canada’s western-most province long before then.
He is hoping that a strong showing at the Row Ontario Small Boat Regatta on Saturday in Welland will get him an invitation to try out for the national junior team.
The 18-year-old from St. Catharines, who came into the one-day, sprint-distance competition for singles and doubles with one of the fastest ergometer scores in Canada, boosted his chances by finishing first in a field of 36 in the time trial and placing third in the final.
It was only his second regatta of the season after two years of pandemic restrictions that limited his time on the water. Most of his training took place on a rowing machine in his basement.
Despite having no scheduled return to shoot for, Bartel never let up on a regimen that had him working out on the erg an average of five times a week.
“He has done a really good job of staying on top of his training. He’s really committed,” said Mike Petrychanko, Bartel’s coach at Eden and a coach with St. Catharines Rowing Club. “It would be really easy for kids to find other things to do.
“I think that’s why he has done so well.”
Bartel never thought about easing back on his training after COVID-19 cancelled rowing at the high school level each of the past two years.
“I knew it would come back. I just thought if I put the time in, I wouldn’t have to get caught up,” said Bartel, who hopes to have a career in urban planning after he graduates from university.
His favourite boat is the single. “It’s all me and any changes that I make change how the boat moves.”
It didn’t take Bartel long to switch from hoping to better his personal best on an erg in his basement to wanting to leave open water between himself and the competition on the water.
“When you’re battling for the same spot, you want to be better than the guy beside you.”
His second — and final — season at Eden was launched on a winning note with two gold medals at the Mother’s Day Regatta in St. Catharines. Besides setting the pace in a single, he teamed with Grade 10 student Mathias Essig to lead the field across the finish line in a senior double.
“Owen’s a great training partner,” Petrychanko said.
Saturday’s small-boat regatta on Welland International Flatwater Centre’s South Course also served as a qualifier for the Canada Summer Games in St. Catharines.
A formula factoring erg scores, as well as results from time trials and competitions, will be used to determine who should receive invitations to selection camps.
“Some people can do well with time trials, and others who will be in the finals didn’t do as well in the time trials. Then they’ll look at their times compared to a standard,” said Petrychanko, a special education teacher at Beamsville District High School who has been coaching rowing for 22 years.
“If you’re hitting that time, you’re doing quite well and will probably get an invite.”
Bartel and Essig were competing under St. Catharines Rowing Club, which tied Western University at London, Ont., with the most boats entered Saturday, with 15 each.
Clara Van Dyk, 17, the lone Welland Centennial Secondary School student competing at the smallboat regatta, was one of three entries from South Niagara Rowing Club. The Grade 11 student from Port Colborne placed 13th in time trials and fifth in her heat after placing second in a women’s single at the Mother’s Day Regatta.
Following are the athletes from the Niagara region who placed in the top 10 in time trials and in the top five in finals at the Row Ontario Small Boat Regatta on Saturday in Welland:
Men’s single time trials 1. Owen Bartel, St. Catharines Rowing Club, 6:46.229; 2. Owen Kudreikis, St. Catharines RC, 6:49.362; 3. Lucas Maroney Babulgia, Notre Dame Rowing Club, 6:52.717; 4. Kai Bartel, St. Catharines RC, 6:52.976; 5. Shane Keegan, Ridley College, 6:56.084; 6. Alessio Perco, Notre Dame RC, 6:57.327; 7. Lucas Austin, Ridley Graduate Boat Club, 6:59.894; 8. Keithan Woodhouse, Brock University, 7:03.284; Final 1. Kudreikis, 7:04.495; 2. Maroney Babuglia, 7:04.953; 3. Owen Bartel, 7:05.459; 4. Kai Bartel, 7:14.7667; 5. Keagan, 7:17.515.
Men’s pair time trials 1. Matthew Johnston, Owen Nicholls, Notre Dame RC, 6:44.350; 3. Chris Gomez, Jared Boles, Brock, 6:49.730; 4. Preston Darling, Owen Darling, Notre Dame RC, 6:55.700; Final 1. Johnston, Nicholls, 7:05.939; 3. Gomez, Boles, 7:24.017; 5. Preston Darling, Owen Darling, 7:28.249. Women’s single time trials 1. Cait Whittard, St. Catharines RC, 7:21.140; 2. Madeson Scott, Notre Dame RC, 7:29.110; 4. Stasia Bittman, Notre Dame RC, 7:31.230; 7. Makeda Harrison, St. Catharines RC, 7:33.900; 8. Autumn Crowe, Ridley College, 7:37.550. Women’s pair time trials 1. Malarie Jones, Meredith Hilmayer, E.L. Crossley, 7:33.750; 6. Talia Nixon, Anna Barrington, 8:00.550; Final 1. Jones, Hilmayer, 7:58.861; 5. Nixon, Barrington, 8:26.883.