The Queen’s rowing team continued its impressive start to the season at the Brock Invitational Regatta this past weekend, winning six races and placing second in five others.
The women’s crew triumphed in the lightweight singles, lightweight doubles, lightweight four, lightweight eight and heavyweight singles. The men came first in the lightweight four competition.
The results in St. Catharines follow strong performances for the Gaels at the University of Ottawa and Trent University in September.
Queen’s head coach John Armitage said several factors contributed to the successful weekend on the water.
“It’s not just the six wins but the depth of the performances,” he said. “There’s great depth to the team this year.” Armitage had additional praise for the lightweight women, who have dominated interuniversity competition so far this year.
“They may be our best-ever group,” he said.
Rebecca McWatters, a member of the lightweight four and lightweight eight crews that won at Trent, said teamwork and dedication are important to the overall success enjoyed by the squad.
“It’s not at all a walk in the park,” she said. “Anything can happen, anyone can win. That
motivates us.”
The rowing team’s coaching staff has transformed in recent years. Many experienced coaches have left the rowing team over the past two seasons and homegrown instructors have emerged to take their places.
Armitage said although some of them are coaching at the varsity level for the first time, the team’s achievement is a direct result of the rowers’ high level of training.
“We’re performing beyond the expectations of a lot of people,” Armitage said.
The team travels to Boston this weekend to compete in the Head of the Charles, the biggest rowing regatta in the world, which features 8,200 rowers from 39 countries and an expected 300,000 spectators. The season culminates with a return to St. Catharines for the OUA championship Oct. 27.
Armitage said a victory at the provincial regatta remains the ultimate goal for Queen’s rowing this year.
“The men’s team and the women’s team set the goal of bringing home the OUA banners,” he said.
“Based on the results from Brock last weekend, we’ve established ourselves as contenders for that goal.”
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