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Thunderstruck Year Two. Edition Three. Dear UBC Rowing Community, Welcome to the third edition of Thunderstruck in which we highlight our season's most important regattas. After many months of hard training, our varsity athletes had a strong finish to the 2013 fall season. UBC had top finishes at both the Canadian University Nationals (CURC) and the National Rowing Championships (NRC). While the varsity crews were racing on the East Coast, the JV teams represented Canada south of the border at Head of the Lake in Seattle. Read on to learn more about these exciting regattas. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] . We would also like to thank all of the student athletes who have helped contribute to the newsletter by writing and editing, both for this edition and previous editions. Enjoy! In this Issue: Athletics Review Update Results from: The Canadian University Rowing Championships Results from: The National Rowing Championships Results from: Head of the Lake Athletes of the Regattas University Rowing News Edited by: Jocelyn Plant, Jannelle Mackoff, Martha Smith and Alex Janzen. VP Social Media: Angus Todd and Alexandra Leask.

Transcript of Thunderstruck - ubcrowing.caubcrowing.ca/Newsletter/PDF/Thunderstruck_y2_3.pdf · Thunderstruck 2...

ThunderstruckYear Two. Edition Three.

Dear UBC Rowing Community,

Welcome to the third edit ion of Thunderstruck in which we highlight our season's most important regattas. After many months of hard training, our varsity athletes had a strong finish to the 2013 fall season. UBC had top finishes at both the Canadian University Nationals (CURC) and the National Rowing Championships (NRC).

While the varsity crews were racing on the East Coast, the JV teams represented Canada south of the border at Head of the Lake in Seattle. Read on to learn more about these exciting regattas. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected].

We would also like to thank all of the student athletes who have helped contribute to the newsletter by writing and editing, both for this edition and previous editions.

Enjoy!

In this Issue:

• Athletics Review Update• Results from:

The Canadian University Rowing Championships

• Results from:The National Rowing Championships

• Results from:Head of the Lake

• Athletes of the Regattas• University Rowing News

Edited by: Jocelyn Plant, Jannelle Mackoff, Martha Smith and Alex Janzen. VP Social Media: Angus Todd and Alexandra Leask.

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Athletics Review Update by Mike Pearce If you are outside of Vancouver, or simply have not heard, UBC Athletics is currently conducting a review of its 29 varsity sports. The ultimate goal, being able to provide an infrastructure for excellence encompassing all, from Club through to Varsity, sports at UBC. Significant changes are afoot that may positively affect teams that meet UBC's new criteria for excellence. Our varsity coaches and alumni through Gold for Life have been working hard to ensure rowing is well positioned and represented in this review.

These are some tense times on campus with the expectation that some teams may not maintain their varsity status. However, there is significant opportunity for positive change in the sports that do fit the new model. If rowing successfully makes the new Athletic's varsity roster, it is hoped that the program will see advancement in areas where there is significant need for improvement:

• The addition of full time assistant coaches• Full funding for athlete travel and training• Improvements in athlete services such as increasing recruiting assistance and

housing spots for rowers• Improved athlete services through alignment with the Canadian Sport Institute in such

areas as athlete nutrition, physiology, biomechanical analysis, sport psychology and athlete monitoring.

• Closer alignment to Rowing Canada and Own the Podium programs.

The outcomes of the review will start to take real shape in the spring of next year, 2014, when it will be determined which teams fit Athletic's new model.

Up to date information about the review and an opportunity for input can be found here: http://www.athletics.ubc.ca/sport-review/

This year’s day of finals at CURCs was extremely exciting. Racing in only the heavyweight eight – the last race of the day – I was able to watch all of my teammates finish their races well before I had to start thinking about my own. The lightweight double was the first event to go down the windy course. It was a close and intense race and our team co-captains took second place. Hillary Janssens and Lauren Wilkinson raced their pair next, flying through the finish line with a strong first place finish. Our heavyweight single, lightweight four, and lightweight single followed, placing fourth, fifth, and fifth respectively in their events. Finally the eight came down the course, headwind still raging. Having placed third in the time trial behind Queens and Western, nerves were running high.

Even after a solid start, Western still had a boat length on us. It took another thousand meters, an awesome coxie, some seriously strong girls behind me, and a lot of guts, for us to steal the win by about 10 feet. It was extremely exhilarating and a massive relief to cross that finish line where we did. I have never been more ecstatic about a race.

With impressive performances across the board, Western’s crew still managed to take home the banner, with UBC sitting proudly in second place, Queens in third, and UVic in fourth. For the eight we won the Jane Thornton Trophy in its first year being presented to the winners of the women’s eight. The competition this year was extremely tough and it is humbling to see the caliber of rowing rise year after year, UBC growing with it. We continue to make our presence known as individuals and as a team by producing some of the best development athletes and crews in Canada; this year’s CURCs have made that very clear. So as we hold on tight to our title, Best In the West, I can only imagine what is yet to come in our upcoming spring season. 2014 is going to be a good one. - Katherine Enns, CURC’s Varsity 8+

Thunderstruck The UBC Women’s Rowing Team at:

The Canadian University Rowing Championships

The UBC Men’s Rowing Team at:The Canadian University Rowing Championships

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On the men’s side, we left for Montreal with our heads held high after our success at Western Canadian University Rowing Championships. The day of time trials went very well for us, and our 8+ posted the fastest time, followed by the University of Western Ontario. At the end of the day, we were in an excellent position heading into the finals on Sunday, with all of our boats in their respective A Finals. Sunday’s conditions were even tougher to race through with a stiff headwind and rough water. The first event of the day was the men’s heavyweight single, which saw Alex Janzen battle the conditions to place sixth. The second event had Maxwell Lattimer racing

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the lightweight single against a very strong field that included two rowers who raced this past summer at U23 World Championships. Maxwell managed an impressive silver place finish, winning the first medal of the day for the men. Our third race of the day was the 8+, my one race of the day. The draw placed us beside the University of Western Ontario, who we knew was going to be our toughest competitor both in the 8+ and in the chase for the banner. We weren’t the fastest boat off the line, but we were confident in all of the work we had put in, the hours on the water and on the erg, and knew that we would be able to dig deep and push through the field in the middle thousand. Unfortunately, we crossed the line behind Western, placing second. The fourth race of the day was the men’s lightweight double. Knowing that the lwt 2x often has the most competitive and highest standard of racing, the crew for this boat had been set early in the year, allowing for lots of practice. These two athletes, Angus Todd and Aaron Lattimer, did not disappoint, coming in third, behind last year’s champions Uvic, and a very fast Brock double. The second last men’s race of the day was the heavyweight pair that placed fourth, very narrowly missing out on a bronze medal. The final race of the day was the lightweight men’s four, the results of which would play a huge role in determining the winners of the national title. After racing though the windy conditions, the UBC four finished a convincing first place, followed by Western and Queens.

At the end of the day, we placed second in the overall championship, losing the banner to Western by a margin of one point. Though we did have a difficult time swallowing our final rank, there was no sense of failure tied to this loss. We knew we did everything possible in the 10 weeks leading up to and while we were in Montreal. Now it's time to go back to winter training, and come out even stronger in the spring. - Douglas Euper, CURC’s Varsity 8+

The Canadian National Rowing Championships From November 8th to 10th, a select group of UBC Thunderbirds competed at the National Rowing Championships in Ontario, at the picturesque Welland International Flatwater Centre. This regatta’s purpose is to get a national ranking of all competitive athletes in the country, including Senior A and U23 athletes, as well as up-and-coming junior athletes. Racing in pairs and singles, athletes survived the cold and windy weather to post impressive results, including a number of podium finishes. The depth that the UBC team carried to this regatta was impressive.

  Following Friday’s heats and repechages, wind and rough water on Saturday prompted

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officials to cancel the day’s quarter- and semifinals and hold finals in a time trial format for only the top 12 boats in each class. Unfortunately, this meant the conclusion of racing for some T-birds. Sunday morning brought improved water conditions for the finals and many close finishes. Following a 4th place finish at CURC’s the weekend prior, 1st year Layla Balooch began the day by winning the junior women’s single, finishing 12th overall.

The open women’s pair event saw CURC’s gold medalists, Lauren Wilkinson and Hillary Janssens, divide and conquer. Olympian Wilkinson and her London Training Centre teammate earned a silver medal in the highly competitive senior category. Meanwhile, Janssens teamed up with fellow TBird, Zoë Fettig-Winn, to win the U23 event, placing 6th overall. The pair’s success can be partly attributed to spending a week in Welland, with nothing to do but mentally prepare for the race.

Evan Cheng and Maxwell Lattimer continued their dominance of the lightweight men’s pair, winning both the U23 and senior categories for the second consecutive year. Angus Todd and Aaron Lattimer, and Rob Gage and Ben Coull, both posted 5th place finishes in their respective events, the U23 lightweight men’s pair and U23 open men’s pair.

Evan Cheng, a graduating Thunderbird and men’s team captain, reflected on the overall results of the team this fall: “Over the past two weekends, I felt that the UBC team showed a very consistent level of performance. CURC’s was an extremely competitive event, and the T-birds went toe-to-toe with Western all the way to the end. I was very impressed with how both the men’s and women’s team handled the pressure. Our athletes rose to the challenge, but just ended up shy of the banner. The level of competition is increasing every year and to see our team rise to the challenge and rank as the 2nd fastest university in the country is very impressive. Overall, I thought that the past two weekends of racing out east really proved the dominance that the UBC rowing program has in this country.”

NRC’s proved to be a fitting end to a fall season of racing that saw UBC rowers race with intensity and pride wherever they went. The T-birds head into the winter training season motivated to improve and build on the fall’s many accomplishments.

- Hillary Janssen, CURC’s Varsity 8+ and Varsity 2- - Evan Cheng, CURC’s Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+

Maxwell Lattimer and Evan ChengGold, Sr. A and u23 Lightweight Men’s Pair

Zoë Fettig-Winn & Hillary JanssensGold, u23 Women’s Pair

Lauren Wilkinson (right)Silver, Sr. A Women’s Pair

Layla BaloochGold, Jr. Women’s Single

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The UBC Women’s Rowing Team at:Head of the Lake Head of the Lake was both a strong finish to the season and one of its highlights (along with the JV 4+’s comeback win against UVic at WCURCs). Both the JV and novice crews demonstrated excellent teamwork and had successful races down in Seattle.

The 5km Head of the Lake race was the furthest distance that the novice crews had ever raced, and they put up a good fight in the 3V category! The Washington “cut” is notorious for its difficultturns and during the last turn of the race the boat collided with a buoy. The novice boat was given a 20 second penalty, placing them further back in the rankings than expected. Needless to say, the crew pushed hard during the last leg of the race despite the setback. The regatta was a great end to the racing season and the novice crew was really able to improve upon their technique after competing at the Burnaby Lake Regatta and Head of the Gorge in Victoria. The team is learning to embrace the “rower’s lifestyle” and looks forward to spending more time in the gym developing power during the winter months!

The JV women had a strong race at Head of the Lake and were able to hold off Stanford for the first kilometer of the race, proceeding to overtake the 3 American Crews head of them. Their coxswain, Margaret Lee, displayed exceptional skills, steering her crew efficiently around the many twists and turns of the lake. As a cohesive crew, the JV women’s four finished their season by leaving everything on the water, feeling nothing but satisfaction for their accomplishments this fall. - Victoria Euper, Novice 8+

The UBC Men’s Rowing Team at:Head of the Lake As the storm from the night before calmed, the

JV and Novice crews woke early in Seattle for the largest fall regatta on the West Coast. While the Varsity crews raced to the podium at CURCs, the JV and Novice crews were getting ready to race next to the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium for an 8am start.

Racing in the Varsity category, the JV men placed 6th (3rd fastest of all the JV boats) with a time of 17:11.25 over the 4.82km course. Next up

was the 3V crew racing in the JV category. The team placed 6th, just twenty seconds back of the JV crew with a time of 17:33.73. The Novice 8+ competed in the 3V category and finished 9th (19:40.47).

From the perspective of the novice crew, we felt that despite some technical improvements from previous races, we weren’t able to put together our strongest race. We were a bit disappointed with the result, as we would like to be closer in time to the 3V boat. As a crew we were frustrated that our race didn’t reflect the power and stamina we’ve developed through our challenging six-days per week training schedule over the past months. From our racing we did gain the understanding that we can find the speed we are looking for through improved technique. We have made gains in terms of being able to achieve a consistent stroke rate but we will now turn our focus to achieving the full length of the stroke. After the race, while de-rigging, I asked Dave, one of our coaches how we looked. He replied jokingly: "Great we clocked you in at about a 31 (stroke rate), just that you guys were only using about three-quarters of the slide!!” - Brady Lacko, Novice 8+

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Athletes of the Regatta:The Canadian University Rowing Championships

As captain of the women’s team this year, Julie Sheppard has played an integral part in our success, both as a competitor and as a leader. CURC’s was no exception, as she competed in three events, bringing experience and tenaciousness to every boat she raced in. On the final day of CU’s, Julie raced to a silver medal in the lightweight woman’s double, moving up two places from the previous day’s time trial. To cap off the day, she helped the heavyweight eight win a gold medal, filling in for teammate, Zoe Fettig-Winn, in a crew she had only rowed with a few times prior to race day. Although six races in two days is a daunting task, Julie not only made it through, but she did so winning two medals!

Hillary Janssens began her rowing career in our Tweety Bird program last year. Since then, Hillary has made unprecedented strides and has had a year of rowing accomplishments that is truly remarkable. It’s quite possible that anything other than gold is not an option for Hillary! In her first CURC regatta, Hillary won two gold medals: one in the heavyweight women’s pair with partner, Lauren Wilkinson, and the other in the heavyweight women’s eight and at the Banquet following the regatta she was a nominee for the Oarswoman of the year. Her calm demeanor and competitive spirit are huge assets to the team.

Maxwell Lattimer was a top performer at CURC’s this year. Maxwell raced in the Light 1x, and was part of the light 4+, and heavy 8+ as well. Starting off in the single Max brought home a silver medal in a very competitive field of high caliber scullers. He then helped the 8+ and light 4+ to the podium, earning a silver and gold respectively. In these three crews Max helped earn 72 , of UBC’s total 101 points. Maxwell was also awarded male oarsman of the year at the Banquet following the regatta.

Athletes of the Regatta:The Canadian National Rowing Championships

Evan Cheng and Maxwell Lattimer reunited their U23 lightweight pair to race at the 2013 National Rowing championships. Picking up seamlessly from where they left off in the summer, the pair won their heat with the top time. Due to weather complications the semi-finals were cancelled and instead a time trial was used to determine the medallists. Evan stroked the pair into first place ahead of two LTC pairs picking up gold in both the U23 and senior categories. Evan continues to lead by example and is the men’s athlete of the regatta.

After being elected as the 2V men's representative, Jacob Derewenda took his appointment with the responsibility and poise anticipated of a more senior member of the team. His leadership was especially accentuated while competing at Head of the Lake. While the 2V crew struggled during the race, Jacob was quick to keep the overall experience in full perspective, encouraging the team to reflect on the success of the season as a whole, rather than in this isolated instance. Jacob's ability to encourage the crew to continue its journey towards improvement truly exemplifies why he is athlete of the regatta.

Margaret Lee began coxing last fall in the Tweety Bird program. Since then, she has been honing her skills and gaining experience in the coxie seat. Margaret was an integral part of the success of the JV Women’s four at the Head of the Lake Regatta where she showed exceptional skills steering through a tricky course that ends in an infamous 180 degree turn. However, her coxing skills were demonstrated in more than just her steering abilities. Halfway through the race, Margaret made several well-thought-out calls that prompted her crew to push back on a boat they'd previously passed that was trying to pass them back.

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Zoë Fettig-Winn has been a leading force on the women’s team this year. In her third year on the team, Zoë has played a huge role in motivating her teammates and continually pushes us to get stronger and faster. Unfortunately, she was unable to attend CURC’s due to the passing of her father, but she travelled to Welland ready to race. Zoë teamed up with Hillary Janssens to win gold in the U23 women’s pair against many teams who competed at the U23 World Championships this past summer.

As a new addition to the women’s team this year, Lauren Wilkinson has brought a huge wealth of experience to the team. As a silver medalist at the London 2012 Olympics, Lauren is a great role model for her teammates who hope to follow a similar trajectory. Not only this, but her down-to-earth nature makes her a joy to train and race with. At NRC’s, Lauren raced as a London Training Center athlete with partner, Susanne Grainger. Together they raced to a silver medal in the Sr. Women’s pair.

Athletes of the Regatta: Head of the Lake

Women’s “Athletes of the Regatta” written by Martha Smith, Women’s Team Captain, Varsity 2x and 4+Men’s CURC’s & NRC’s “Athletes of the Regatta” written by Robert Gage, Men’s Team Captain, Varsity 8+ and 2-

Men’s HotL “Athletes of the Regatta” written by Andrew Knorr, Assistant Men’s Coach

uVic Head Men's Coach Howie Campbell moves in with National Team After a 23 years, the longest service of any coach in Canadian university rowing history, uVic Head Men's Coach Howie Campbell moves on to work with the Canadian Senior Men's National Team while uVic seeks a new leader.

"Howie has been a major contributor to our sport at all levels in Canada and has certainly made programs like ours raise our game to compete with his UVic crews, I've gained great respect for Howie and his program over the years", said UBC’s Men's Coach Mike Pearce.Th

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