In the past two weeks, the Innisdale Rowing team has had several successful races, and has grown immensely as a team. They have displayed great amounts of teamwork, motivation, endurance, and have really shown what Innisdale is all about.
The first regatta took place in Welland. For several rowers, this was their first race experience, and everyone performed exceptionally well considering they have only been practicing on the water for four weeks.
The senior girl's quad, which from the bow included Jordan Gardiner, Justine McNichol, Rachel Hanson, and Cailey MacDonald, placed 8th out of ten crews. They rowed through a few crabs and pushing it hard to the end and using the race as a learning experience. Jordan Gardiner and Rachel Hanson placed 17th out of 27 crews in their double, pleasantly surprising their coach, Mr. Davidson.
The senior men's quad, which included Wesley Dutton, Alex Newton, Luke Laurin, and Justin Gleben rowed exceptionally hard and well, and were a mere 0.34 seconds from qualifying for finals. Alex Newton and Justin Gleben rowed a double and placed second in their heat. Wesley Dutton and Nathan Yee also had an excellent race in the pair. Overall, Welland was a successful regatta for the team.
The next Saturday, the team had an early departure to London to what would be a very successful day. The girl's quad had their best race yet, and placed third in their heat thus qualifying for finals. The girls double came fifth in their heat, and did not qualify, but used the race as a learning experience. During the finals race for the quad, there was a bad tailwind which caused them to get behind and encounter some difficulties with technique. However, this did not hinder the girl's spirit, as they were very proud of each other for making the finals.
The men's quad could be considered the victory of the day, as they placed first in their heat. This boat included Wesley Dutton, Nathan Yee, Alex Newton, and Justin Gleben. However, one member of the crew had to leave for another sporting event and could not participate in the finals race. After confirmation from the officials, Cailey MacDonald of the girl's quad stepped up to fill the empty seat. The new crew placed fourth in the finals and had a great race. The other men's crews once again included the pair and the double. Even though they did not qualify for the finals, they still had great learning experiences and are even more prepared for the CSSRA regatta next week!
