UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

UOIT Picks Up Points at OUA Rowing Championship

St. Catharines, Ont. – This past week, the UOIT Ridgebacks Rowing Crew took part in the OUA Rowing Championships at the historic Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Course in St. Catharines.

For the most part of the Regatta, the dominant crews came from Queens, Western, Brock and Trent with a smattering of success from the other Universities including McMaster, University of Toronto, Ryerson, McGill, Ottawa, Carleton, Guelph and UOIT.

In their third year of Varsity competition, UOIT crews posted good personal times but fell short of picking up their first provincial medal. Although for the first time in school history, the men’s crew was able to pick up points in the overall standings at the provincial championship.

The UOIT rowing team continues to grow having 45 members, a long way from the first crew which had only 27 members. The team will begin winter training starting in December of 2008 for next year’s aspirants to the 2009 UOIT Rowing Team. All returning varsity as well as new novice rowers who are interested in varsity rowing are welcome to join the team, no prior experience necessary.

OUA CHAMPIONSHIP WRAP-UP

The Queen's Gaels were victorious at the 2008 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Rowing Championships this past weekend at the Royal Canadian Henley Course in St. Catharines, Ont., winning the women's title for a second straight year while dethroning the three-time defending champion Western Mustangs in the men's division. The Gaels last won a men's rowing title in 2004.

The Queen's women were simply dominant, winning six of eight events. In the lightweight single sculls, Jenny Hogsden (Waterdown, Ont.) defeated her closest rival by over four seconds in a time of 7:24.82. Katya Herman (Sudbury, Ont.) won the heavyweight single event with a time of 7:28.48. Hogsden and Herman also teamed up to win the heavyweight double race in a time of 6:56.76.

In the women's lightweight 8+ coxed, the Queen's team of Alexandra Meiklejohn (Toronto, Ont.), Emily Richardson (London, Ont.), Caylen Heckel (Fort Erie, Ont.), Crystal Hyatt (Caledon, Ont.), Rebecca McWatters (Brampton, Ont.), Carlene Thivierge-Lortie (Montreal, Que.), Catherine Moores (Vancouver, B.C.), Kristine Matusiak (Glenburnie, Ont.) and coxswain Ashley Niblett (Toronto, Ont.) defeated their closest competator Brock University by less than two seconds, crossing the finish line at 6:16.94. Meiklejohn and Heckel joined forces to win the lightweight pair race in 7:04.99. The Queen's lightweight 4+ coxed team of McWatters, Thivierge-Lortie, Moores, Matusiak and coxswain Niblett won their final race in a time of 6:59.04.

The only competitions not won by Queen's women were the heavyweight 4+ coxed and the heavyweight 8+ coxed races, both won by the Western Mustangs.

On the men's side, Queen's won three events while finishing on the podium in all eight competitions. Rob Ballard (Vancouver, B.C.) won the lightweight single sculls race in 6:57.07, while the duo of John Barr (St. Catharines, Ont.) and Morgan Jarvis (Clearwater Bay, Ont.) finished first in the final of the lightweight pairs race. All three of these rowers joined Colin Sutherland (Victoria, B.C.), Ryan Poling (Sioux Lookout, Ont.), Ryan Meyers (Kingston, Ont.) Rares Crisan (Mississauga, Ont.), Nick Pratt (Kingston, Ont.) and coxswain Mike Smith (Somerville, Mass.) to win the lightweight 8+ coxed race in 5:30.53.

The Western Mustangs and Brock Badgers won the team silver and bronze medals respectively in both men's and women's categories.

Mindy Bowen of the Western Mustangs is the OUA Women's Coach of the Year while Stephan Wagner of the Brock Badgers is the OUA Men's Coach of the Year.

Other schools at the competition included the Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Ottawa Gee-Gees, Ryerson Rams, Toronto Varsity Blues, Trent Excalibur, UOIT Ridgebacks and McGill Redmen/Martlets.

OUA ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

OVERALL MEN'S RESULTS
1. Queen's - 106
2. Western - 98
3. Brock - 96

OVERALL WOMEN'S RESULTS
1. Queen's - 111
2. Western - 101
3. Brock - 65

MEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT SINGLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 6:57.07
2. Western - 7:01.12
3. Carleton - 7:03.00

WOMEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT SINGLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 7:24.82
2. Western - 7:28.84
3. McMaster - 7:50.35

MEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT SINGLE FINAL
1. Brock - 6:42.25
2. Ryerson - 6:58.61
3. Queen's - 7:06.41

WOMEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT SINGLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 7:28.48
2. Trent - 7:31.73
3. Western - 7:42.92

MEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 6:17.46
2. Brock - 6:28.58
3. Western - 6:35.70

WOMEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 7:04.99
2. Western - 7:11.73
3. Guelph - 7:20.87

MEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT DOUBLE FINAL
1. Brock - 6:21.79
2. Western - 6:24.08
3. Queen's - 6:26.28

WOMEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT DOUBLE FINAL
1. Queen's - 6:56.76
2. Western - 7:01.69
3. Brock - 7:06.92

MEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT 4+ COXED FINAL
1. Western - 6:04.20
2. Queen's - 6:10.02
3. Brock - 6:12.31

WOMEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT 4+ COXED FINAL
1. Queen's - 6:59.04
2. Brock - 7:00.95
3. Western - 7:04.55

MEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT 4+ COXED FINAL
1. Western - 6:06.65
2. Queen's - 6:09.65
3. McGill - 6:10.84

WOMEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT 4+ COXED FINAL
1. Western - 6:56.13
2. Queen's - 6:58.03
3. Trent - 7:00.53

MEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT 8+ COXED FINAL
1. Queen's - 5:30.53
2. Western - 5:32.24
3. Brock - 5:44.35

WOMEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT 8+ COXED FINAL
1. Queen's - 6:16.94
2. Brock - 6:18.35
3. Western - 6:23.25

MEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT 8+ COXED FINAL
1. Brock - 5:34.62
2. Queen's - 5:34.98
3. Western - 5:38.35

WOMEN'S HEAVYWEIGHT 8+ COXED FINAL
1. Western - 6:21.52
2. Brock - 6:29.06
3. Trent - 6:29.46

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)

Courtesy of OUA.ca
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