Head of the Lake: BCC ends 18-year reign

BALLARAT Clarendon College has ended Ballarat Grammar's 18-year reign on the Ballarat Associated Schools' girls rowing premiership.College crews blitzed Grammar on the water in Geelong yesterday to claim the JH Netherway Cup for the first time in 20 years at the BAS Head of the Lake regatta.St Patrick's College built on its boat race legacy for a sixth consecutive year as overall champion of the boys.College girls and St Pats sealed their premierships with the double on Geelong's Barwon River yesterday, each taking home a Head of the Lake crown from the regattas premier races.CLICK HERE for all race results.Victorious firsts crews celebrated together post presentations on the river bank.The St Pats' firsts crew, coached by Terry Austin, pulled off a clear four-peat for the Dowling Challenge Cup.College girls firsts won back the girls' Patterson Shield in a thriller on the line from Ballarat Grammar.In the past decade, College and Grammar have held the top two rankings in the girls' Head of the Lake but it was the girls' premiership that director of rowing Ross Henderson had his eye on."It's something we've really worked hard for," Henderson said."The premiership is the one we really want."We don't focus on one individual crew that we want to winit's rewarding, it really is."College girls topped six of the 11 races carrying premiership points, including a clean sweep of the year 10 program, to net 40 points.Grammar ranked second with 32 points with a competitive Loreto College third and Ballarat High School fourth.In an added bonus for the College rowing program, the boys' year 10 division two win marked the first boys' victory in a Head of the Lake regatta since 2001.St Patrick's College claimed seven wins in the boys' premiership stakes for the Harold Deveson Cup.The St Pats' crews took a clean sweep of the open division races to help secure 45 premiership points with Ballarat Grammar second on 20.Ballarat High School finished third and College was fourth.St Pats' longest hold on the Harold Deveson Cup was in the 1990s for seven consecutive years, including the last of that stretch shared with College.The Hamilton and Alexandra College debuted as an invitational school at the BAS regatta and featured three crews across year nine and 10 races.St Patrick's College principal and BAS rowing chair Peter Casey congratulated all crews, coaches and support staff for their efforts on the water."Ultimately it is about sport, it is about athleticism and it is about discipline," Dr Casey said."Those who pushed everyone to do their best did an excellent job."