NSW stars at Australian rowing titles include schoolgirls, Riverview, Sydney Uni, Sydney Rowing, Uni of Technology
A schoolgirl crew with a ‘special bond’ has been one of the star performers at the Australian rowing championships where NSW upped the ante in its rivalry with Victoria.
Wentworth Courier
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St Catherine’s crews with a “special bond” had three events to race at the Australian rowing championships in Perth and came away with three medals in an outstanding performance.
The crews arrived back in Sydney with a gold and two silver but it was nearly a golden double for the young guns.
Melbourne Hills Grammar only just beat St Catherine’s, claiming the Schoolgirl Coxed Eight crown at the Australian titles by just 2.34 seconds.
But then the crew of Madeleine Manins, Bianca Rupnik Williams, Siennah Morgan, Chelsea Baker, Erin Kara, Leila Gaston, Madeleine Swain, Jade Bliss and Sophie Castellas came up trumps to win the U19 Eight.
“The girls lead from start to finish and showed great determination to hold on to a half a second lead for the majority of the race,” said coach Richard Coakley.
St Catherine’s took their victory from a composite Queensland team with St Catherine’s Victoria third.
Silver followed in the U19 Four final with Erin Kara, Leila Gaston, Madeleine Swain, Jade Bliss and Jasmine Abela excelling in the race won by Sydney rivals Queenwood.
“They have a strong bond together. The girls who went over really committed to it for a big season,” Coakley said.
“The rowing program has only been going for 10 years and in the last three years it’s really growing. Hopefully this will really push us and attract more girls into the program.
“Now the others know what it is possible to achieve.
“Out of the eight, four are in Year 12 so hopefully we will return next season.”
Coakley said he is delighted with the performance of his rowers who also won Head of the River at Penrith last month.
In Perth St Ignatius Riverview won the Barrington Cup for the first time with their defeat of Brisbane Boys College while NSW also dominated the Youth Eights events, besting Victoria in both.
NSW won the Kings Cup, with the defending champions beating Victoria by 3.15 seconds and Queensland by more than seven.
Sydney University boat club topped the medal tally a the Australian championships with 25 medals.
Sydney Rowing were second with University of Technology Sydney third.
Melbourne University boat club were fourth and University of Queensland fifth.
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