Australian National Rowing Championships

Last week, Senior Rowers, including Isabella Bufé (Year 10) as our travelling reserve, and Miss Jeanette Gunn as Senior Rowing Mentor, travelled to the Sydney International Regatta Centre for the 2019 Australian National Rowing Championships. They were well supported by parents, as well as Mr Rob Marshall and Mrs Gina Peele who came to support the girls in their racing.

The St Catherine’s 120 started on Thursday in fine fashion by being our first Senior second crew to qualify straight from their heat to the Semi Final at Nationals. They experienced disappointment on Saturday by missing qualification for the A Final. A heavy winds lashing caused the cancellation of the Sprint Championships. For the second year running, we have not being able to defend our national championship in this Division won by the Geraldine Ilott crew in 2017. This was a bitter blow, however, students (in typical St Catherine’s School fashion) backed up the Sunday for the B Final of the Schoolgirl 8+, where they defeated their season rivals Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC) to claim bragging rights as the fastest Senior second 8+ in Victoria and Australia, as well as beating First 8s such as Genazzano. This was a fitting end to the season for the girls, having their best row and confirming their quality. This was the second year running our girls have achieved this feat.

St Catherine’s 120 Rowing crew competing at the 2019 Australian National Rowing Championships.

The Fearless Girl qualified straight for the Semi Final by winning their heat row in style on Thursday over Loreto and Geelong Grammar. The Sunday A Final was one of the most courageous performances I have seen in Rowing. Outsized by many of their opponents, The Ferg led most of the field for the vast majority of the race only to be overtaken by Pymble Ladies’ College (PLC) in the last couple of hundred metres, and not quite catching Geelong Grammar to come 4th. This was by a narrow 1.6 seconds from Geelong Grammar in 3rd, with MLC in 1st and PLC in 2nd. Their start was clean and efficient, they then rowed a long and powerful rhythm and drove their rhythm right the way to the finish. It was a complete performance for The Ferg. They prepared well, raced with pride and demonstrated utmost professionalism in everything they did. Unfortunately on the day, there were A crews that posted slightly faster times, but we are immensely proud of their efforts.

In our eyes these crews are champions. We do not need titles to tell us that. In what our Senior crews can control, their season has been flawless. We could not be prouder.

Thanks again to all of St Catherine’s School for supporting the Rowing program in 2019. We will be back in action very soon!

Yeeahhhh St Cath’s!

St Catherine’s rowing crew ‘The Ferg’ competing at the 2019 Australian National Rowing Championships.

Mr David Fraumano, Head Coach of Rowing Program