January Rowing Report
January has been an exciting month for the Rowing program.
Nagambie Rowing Camp
The Years 10, 11 and 12 rowers commenced their training on 1 January in Melbourne, preparing themselves for a five day camp in Nagambie. Nagambie has been our home of Rowing Camp for the past few seasons. It has many benefits for a camp with the main being access to a 2km race course as well as the sheltered water of the Goulburn River. A key focus of the camp was ensuring students were preparing well for sessions, and managing themselves professionally in their recovery post sessions, so we could achieve consistent on water training. The efforts from the girls in these off water processes enabled them to string together improving on water performances. The improvement seen in coaches, coxes and rowers throughout the camp was massive.
The Senior rowers commenced their training at a five day camp in Nagambie.
However, it could not have been achieved without the honest efforts of students over their time off during their January holidays. A comprehensive training program was provided to students which would maintain, if not improve, their fitness while away from Rowing. Students came to Day 1 of Camp fit and healthy which then enabled them to perform.
Visits from Mrs Gina Peele and Miss Jeanette Gunn were also a highlight of the camp as we continue to enjoy significant support from St Catherine’s School. The camp concluded with our annual pizza night, where the girls can kick back, relax and enjoy the evening with some comfort food.
A huge thanks to our coaches and Ms Brigette Carlile for staffing the camp. But most importantly to the girls for representing the School so well.
Two Senior 8s qualify for the Australian National Rowing Championships in Sydney
Each year on January camp, senior rowers complete the ‘Benchmark Paddling Test’. This was the 7th annual Benchmark Paddling Test, in order to qualify crews to compete at the Australian National Rowing Championships. Passing this test is an indication of a crew’s capability to be competitive with the best crews in the country. The test is 4 x 2000m laps of the Lake Nagambie Rowing Course, rowed at 20 strokes per minute (stroke rate 20). To pass the test, a crew’s average time for the four efforts needs to be a maximum of 8:10.0 for the four laps. Each year we rely on data gathered and analysis of nationals results to set the required average times for the test.
This year, girls rowing the Fearless Girl smashed the test scoring an average time of 7:48.7 for the 4 x 2000ms. The girls rowing the St Catherine’s 120 also passed the test scoring an average time of 8:06.8 for the 4 x 2000ms. This means we are entering two senior 8s in the Australian National Rowing Championships and both boats have demonstrated that they have the capability to be competitive with the best schoolgirl rowing crews in the country.
Students will depart for Nationals in Sydney on 27 March and will compete until 31 March 2019.
Barwon Regatta 2019
On Saturday 26 January, St Catherine’s School Senior Rowers competed in the 2019 Barwon Regatta, on the Barwon River in Geelong.
The Fearless Girl team won the Division 1 and U21 titles at the 2019 Barwon Regatta.
The Senior 8+s
Both Senior 8+s faced off against their main rivals for the 2018/2019 season. The girls experienced a solid day of racing. It was an exciting day for the squad as a collective. For the first regatta in my time at St Catherine’s School, both senior 8s featured in A finals in each of their events for the day. The Fearless Girl won both the Division 1 and U21 titles for the second consecutive season while the St Catherine’s 120 came 3rd in Division 2. A special thanks to Year 10 student Zara Carter who filled in coxing for the St Catherine’s 120 in her first ever Senior Regatta.
Fearless Girl
- Cox: Heidi Tokatlidis
- Stroke: Henrietta Paterson
- 7: Emily Sutherland
- 6: Lulu Murrell
- 5: Harriette Dryden
- 4: Harriet Fortey
- 3: Romy Cantwell
- 2: Jennifer Madgwick
- Bow: Mardi Bray
St Catherine’s 120
- Cox: Zara Carter
- Stroke: Charlotte Murdoch
- 7: Lara Nattrass
- 6: Chloe Rodgers
- 5: Lucy Motteram
- 4: Francesca King
- 3: Alexandra Hall
- 2: Georgia Green
- Bow: Sophie Hogan
It has been a great holiday training period for all our Senior Rowers. We are greatly looking forward to them progressing throughout this Term as we build for Head of the Schoolgirls.
Go St Cath’s!
