Adelaide’s top 20 school rowers ready to fight it out at the Head of the River
South Australia’s best school rowers are set to fight it out on water at the biggest regatta on the school sports calendar today. See who made the top 20.
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The biggest events on the South Australian school sports calendar – the Head of the River – is here and we’re taking a look at the top student rowers leaving us in oar.
The state’s best school rowers will be in action at the 102nd edition of prestigious event on Saturday at West Lakes with Scotch College playing host.
Scotch College principal Trent Driver said the event transcended just the school sport scene.
“The Head of the River is one of the great traditions of school sport, but is a significant part of Adelaide life, bringing a community together,” he said.
Olivia Masters and Imogen Griffith
Walford
Olivia Masters and Imogen Griffith have been dedicated to rowing since Year 7, establishing themselves as formidable athletes in the sport.
They have consistently trained and raced together in the same crew, progressing from Year 8A to 10A crew.
Together they secured second place in Year 8 and fourth place in Year 9 at the Head of the River.
Their recent triumph at the State Championships saw them clinch victory in the U17 double scull event and secure second place in the U17 quad scull.
With their eyes set on the weekend’s competition, the pair aim to replicate this success alongside their crewmates in the quadruple scull event.
Masters has also showcased individual excellence winning the Third Grade Single Scull at the State Championships earlier in the season.
The duo has earned themself a spot in the Australian National Rowing Championships in Penrith, NSW, scheduled for later this month.
Both Masters and Griffith are consider “esteemed members” of Walford’s High Performance Academy.
Felicity Cox
Unley High School
Felicity Cox rows in the five-seat of Unley High School’s schoolgirl first eight.
At the recent Rowing SA State Championships, she was part of the winning Schoolgirl Coxed Four, also finishing second in the U19 Women’s Four and third in the U19 Women’s Single Scull.
With a 7.13min 2000m ergo she is considered one of the states’ fastest schoolgirls off the water.
Cox’s speed led to her selection this season into the South Australian Bicentennial Cup Eight (U21 Women’s Eight).
Tamara Bates
Unley High School
Sitting in front of teammate Cox, Tamara Bates rows in the 6-seat of Unley High School’s schoolgirl first eight.
At the recent Rowing SA State Championships, Bates was part of the winning Schoolgirl Coxed Four, also finishing second in the U19 Women’s Four and U19 Women’s Pair.
The teen also works as a coach within the Unley High School Program providing mentorship to the Year 8 boy rowers.
Bates has also been selected in the South Australian Bicentennial Cup Eight (U21 Women’s Eight) for 2024.
Thomas Osborn
Unley High School
Thomas Osborn rows in the six-seat of Unley High School’s schoolboy first eight.
At the recent Rowing SA State Championships, Osborn was part of multiple State Championship winning crews including the U19 Men’s Quad Scull and Open Lightweight Men’s Coxless Four, representing Adelaide University.
In his first year as a competitive lightweight rower, Osborn is said to have represented the school and his club “with distinction” and earned himself a spot in the South Australian Penrith Cup Four (Open Lightweight Men’s Coxless Four).
Tom Hollis
Unley High School
Tom Hollis is the coxswain for Unley High School’s Year 10A Schoolboy Coxed Quad.
The young gun is considered an up-and-comer within the schools’ coxswain ranks taking on a number of challenges within the program and making significant improvements in his craft over the 2023-24 season.
Lily Burgess
Saint Ignatius’ College
Year 11 student Lily Burgess has been rowing at Saint Ignatius’ College for five years.
Burgess placed second in the women’s single final of the second Grade State Championships – an event that is open to rowers of any age, school, or club – in December 2023.
The teen also finished on the podium in four events at the State Championships last month.
John Dwyer
Saint Ignatius’ College
John Dwyer has been described as an integral part of the Saint Ignatius’ College rowing program.
Year 12 student was voted captain of boys rowing in 2023 and has been a strong leader in the school’s senior crew for the past two seasons.
James Evans
Saint Ignatius’ College
Year 11 student James Evans has shown strength in rowing throughout his involvement in the sport and was awarded the college’s rowing MVP.
Last year he progressed to the men’s pair final at the Head of the River alongside his equally talented teammate Levi Villios.
Caitlin Anderson
Saint Ignatius’ College
Caitlin Anderson is a Year 10 student and has been rowing for the Saint Ignatius’ College since 2020.
Anderson and her teammate Burgess placed second in the women’s pair final of the second grade State Championships in December 2023.
At the recent State Championships, she won the U16 Women’s Singles event and is continuing to develop through the college’s high performance rowing program.
Oliver Evans-Wood
Norwood International High School
Oliver Evans-Wood is the current Norwood International High School rowing club captain.
Rowing in the school’s boys first eight, he also represented NIHS at 2023 Australian Rowing Championships and will compete again in 2024.
Sophia Adler
Norwood International High School
Sophia Adler is the current Norwood International High School team captain who rows in the girls first eight.
She represented NIHS in Malta at the Anzac Memorial Regatta in coastal rowing where Adler gained international experience competing against Malta and New Zealand.
Mitchell England
Norwood International High School
Year 10 student Mitchell England has been selected to cox the boys 1st eight at the Head of the River.
England has been part of the school’s Special Interest Rowing Program since starting at the at
Norwood International High School.
He is considered an up-and-coming athlete of the school’s rowing program.
Sofia Aleshina
Norwood International High School
Sofia Aleshina is a strong rower who has competed at a high level including representing NIHS at the 2024 Australian Rowing Championships.
Aleshina rows in the school’s girls first eight team.
Grace Barrera and Daisy Holland
Seymour College
Grace Barrera and Daisy Holland were part of Seymour’s 2023 Head of the River winning crew.
The duo are looking to back-to-back as a part of college’s first eight with Barrera in five and Holland in six-seat.
They are described as brining leadership, experience and exceptional training standards to the Seymour rowing program.
Beyond the weekend Barrera and Holland will represented the college in the schoolgirl eight and U19 eight at the 2024 National Championships in Penrith in late March.
Both have also recently been selected in the SA Women’s Youth Eight to compete for the interstate race at the National Championships.
Emma Venus, Leigh Wingard, Tom Wright and Lucy Seppelt
Scotch College
Scotch College named its captains earlier this year ahead of this year’s rowing season with the team of leaders including boys captain Leigh Wingard, boys vice-captain Tom Wright, girls captain Emma Venus and girls vice-captain Lucy Seppelt.
The college is the host school for this year’s Head of the River and principal Mr Driver said it headed into the event with some good form behind them.
The four captains, all 17, led to school’s team at the Rowing South Australia State Championships in February where it won gold in the Schoolboy Coxed Four, Under 17 Men’s Coxed Quad Scull, Under 17 Men’s Eight and Schoolboy Year 10 Coxed Quad Scull.
All school competing at the Head of the River were contacted to nominate their top student rowers.
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