Senior Girls Rowing

As always, the rowing year started out slowly. It was a time to get the Grade 11s acquainted with the more serious life of senior rowing, and help the novices figure out the difference between port and starboard. But after a few weeks, everyone was back and ready to work hard. In the Fall, head race season, we worked on long distance, leading us to win the 8+ at both the Head and Tail of the Gorge races. We also traveled to Seattle in October, where we gained more racing experience and had some fun at The University of Washington. Our early season successes had the team excited for what was to come.  In January, with the return of a long-lost coach, Mr. Wismer, who’d been down under, most of the experienced seniors competed at UVic’s Monster Erg and the others pulled erg tests at Shawnigan. Winter winds reduced our time on the water, but serious improvements were made on the ergs. This may not have been ideal for our technique, but it certainly got us in shape and ready for Spring regattas.  Brentwood Regatta yielded some of the most rewarding results for the girls program in several years, a result of our team’s willingness to put everything they had into each of their races. We accumulated three silver medals and one bronze, as well as making several other finals. The 4x+ came out as the second fastest Canadian crew in their event, qualifying them for the Windermere Cup taking place the next weekend in Seattle. Results at Regatta also allowed up to make decisions to send the Lightweight and Open 8+s as well as a Lightweight 4+, an Open 4+ and an Open 4x- to CSSRA’s in St. Catharines.  I am extremely excited to be finishing my last few races as a Brentwood student with this group of hard-working girls; they make every early morning, erg workout, and race so completely worth it. Thank you Mr. Wismer and Mrs. Sage for all of the faith that you have in us, for allowing us to be the team that we are, and for dealing with all of our injuries and dramas. I will miss everyone so much next year. Brooke M, Alexander '16, Girls’ Rowing Captain