Gauteng Rowing Championships - with updated report

Gauteng Rowing Championships were a delight for our rowing club.  Our newest members in the U14 section now have the "rowing bug" and were delighted with their bronze medal for the U14 new race (the Octuple).  Our U16s raced their best times all season and came away with multiple medals.  It was a very hot but exciting weekend and we are thrilled too for our boys who won the last race of the day!  With the send off from the school on the Thursday supported by Krispy Kremes - it was going to be a good weekend.

U14 Girls' Results

• U14 single scull: Kallen Mali placed 11th overall, Dominique Dos Reis 12th overall and Vuyolwethu Mashinini placed 15th.
• U14 double scull: Cheyanne Calenborne and Marianna Katsoulis placed 5th overall. Rhandzu Mhlongo and Moshoeu placed 10th.
• U14 quad scull: Our A quad Cheyanne Calenborne, Marianna Katsoulis, Rhandzu Mhlongo, Moshoeu Khwinana coxed by Dominique Dos Reis placed 6th overall.
• Our B quad consisting of Katerina Gabriel, Kiera Gouws, Khanyisa Ntozini, and Kaylan Ferreirinho, coxed by Caitlin Macfarlane placed 9th.
• U14 Octuple (8 man boat): This is a new event in girls rowing which we entered and our Oct consisting of Cheyanne Calenborne, Marianna Katsoulis, Rhandzu Mhlongo, Moshoeu Khwinana, Kiera Gouws, Kaylan Ferreirinho, Katerina Gabriel and Caitlin Macfarlane- coxed by Shannen Etter placed 3rd in this event.

U15 Girls' Results:

• U15 Single Sculls: Jordan Korevaar placed won the bronze in this event with Bianca Gain placing 7th over all.
• U15 double sculls: Jemma Jenkins-Ferret and Heather Tanner placed 4th in this event (an epic race to watch, these 2 were easily the smallest girls competing in this event).
• U15 Quad Scull: Jordan Korevaar, Bianca Gain, Jemma Jenkins-Ferret and Heather Tanner coxed by Shannen Etter placed 7th over all.

U16 Girls Results:

• U16 single sculls: 3 of our 4 girls made the final for this event, Jennavieve Williams won the Silver, Madison Crews won Bronze and Bethany Williamson placed 5th.
• U16 double sculls: Jennavieve Williams and Madison Crews won the bronze in this event with Bethany Williamson and Kate Pringle placing 5th in this event.
• U16 quad scull: Jennavieve Williams, Madison Crews, Bethany Williamson and Kate Pringle- Coxed by Katie Tyndale-Biscoe won the Silver in this event.
  
  "They really did haul it out on race day and left nothing in the tank. Put every bit of power that they had into the races. The training they have put into this half of the season came together. The results they got they earned and could not have done better. Now to up their game for Nationals in March."  Proud Parent

Open Girls Results:

• Open single sculls: Tegan Korevaar placed 4th in this event, Robyn Schaap placed 12 and Megan Barclay placed 16th.
• Open double sculls: Tegan Korevaar and Saskia Howie placed 4th in this event narrowly missing bronze on the line. Alessandra Gain and Robyn Schaap placed 7th in this event. Megan Barclay and Katie Tyndale-Biscoe placed 12th.
• Open quad sculls (1st quad): Placed 4th in the event, it’s the best result the girls have rowed in this event this season so far.

Congratulations to our Boys' College who won the final race of the day by maintaining their early lead and beating the favourites St Benedicts in a very exciting race.

REPORT FROM THE GIRLS' COLLEGE HEAD COACH

This past weekend saw the annual Gauteng Schools Rowing Championships Regatta take place at Roodeplaat dam. It is at this regatta that the St Stithians girls Rowing club put out a most impressive performance as a whole.  With just 30 girls rowers entered, girls ranging from grade 7- grade 11 we managed to make 11 A finals (top 8 in Gauteng) and place top 4 in 9 of these finals and took 6 medals away from this event.  

Our U14s stole the show right from the start, having only rowed for 2 months these girls made A finals in the U14 double (2 man boat) the U14 quad (4 man boat plus coxswain) and we were even able to enter the U14 Octuple (8 man boat plus coxswain) a feat never before possible due to a lack of numbers.  The U14 double placed 5th in their event after a nail biting clash with a St Marys crew boat, The U14 quad placed 6th in their event and our U14 Octuple won bronze in their event. These are such awesome results from these young ladies, I cannot wait to see what they can do next year. 

The U15 girls carried on this impressive performance with 2 of our girls making the scull (one man boat) final with Jordan Korevaar winning bronze and Bianca Gain placing 7th overall. The U14 double consisting of Heather Tanner and Jemma Jenkins-Ferret placed 4th in their final, missing the bronze medal by just 2 seconds over the entire 1000m race. The U15 quad placed 6th in there A final.

The U16 girls were our top performers this weekend, 3 of the 5 Saints U16 girls made the A final in the Scull with Jennavieve Williams taking the Silver, Madison Crews taking the bronze and Bethany Williamson placing 5th overall. The U16 double was another impressive race where Jennavieve Williams and Madison Crews won Bronze just 3 seconds behind gold Bethany Williamson and Kate Pringle placed 5th in this same event. The U16 quad was one of the highlights of the regatta, the quad who has been placing 4th and 5th the whole season geared up for one final effort and won the silver medal beating crews who have beaten them for the past 2 years.

Our open girls team put on a brave performance against some of the fiercest competition South African girls rowing has ever seen, Tegan Korevaar made the A final in her Scull and placed 4th overall, narrowly missing bronze right at the finish line. Two of our open doubles made the A final where the crew of Tegan Korevaar and Saskia Howie placed 4th overall, Alessandra Gain and Robyn Schaap placed 7th in the same race. We ended the regatta with our 1st girls quad, the premier and final girls event where the crew of Tegan Korevaar, Saskia Howie, Robyn Schaap, Alessandra Gain and cox Shannen Etter placed 4th over all.

A huge congratulations to all the girls on their performance this weekend, It really was a great weekend with amazing races and personal bests achieved, you have made me so proud.

A special thanks you to all our supporters, parents and staff that have made this half season possible, We really would not have been able to do this without you all.

Many thanks

James Buchanan
Head Rowing Coach and MIC
St Stithians Girls College