Loreto College will head a strong contingent of Ballarat crews in the national school rowing championships in Sydney.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Loreto goes to the Sydney International Rowing Regatta, which begins next Monday, as Victoria’s form boat in the schoolgirls’ coxed fours.
Grace Hoffman, Ella Higgins, Laura Foley, Molly Grech and cox Madelyn Rothe continued their marvelous run by taking out the division one title in the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta on the Barwon River in Geelong at the weekend.
They claimed gold ahead of Melbourne Grammar School, with Ballarat’s ever-improving Damascus College finishing third.
However, Loreto did not get everything its own way. Damascus shaded Loreto in a heat to progress straight into the final, while Loreto had to makes its way into medal event via a repechage , which it won.
Loreto adds the Head of the Schoolgirls title to Ballarat head of the lake and state championship wins this season.
Damascus also makes the trip in contention for a medal with Ballarat Clarendon College (two), Ballarat High School and Ballarat Grammar School other crews among 24 entries in the category.
The St Patrick’s College head of the lake-winning crew of James Crilly, Ben Hutt, Isaac Pertzel, Ethan Lawler and cox Jackson Long are also national bound with another St Pat’s boat and entries from Ballarat Clarendon College (two), Ballarat High School (two), Damascus College and Ballarat Grammar School for the schoolboys.
Loreto won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals at the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta.
Molly Johnson, Maddi Clark, Claire Demuth, Madie Dunn and cox Eyrin McCarthy won the coxed four open division three and Laura Weightman, Ashlee Quick, Meg Broadbent, Talee Hare and cox Shalya Lamb took out open division five.
Ballarat Grammar won open division four in the same category with Scarlett Robinson, Maddy Rogers, Grace Henwood, Elizabeth Pattinson and cox Lucy Russell, and collected another two bronze.
Ballarat High School went home with two silvers, Ballarat Clarendon College two bronze and Damascus College the one bronze.
Ballarat was also represented at the School Sport Victoria regatta on the Barwon River on Thursday.
Ballarat High had wins in the male coxed four Year 10 division one, male coxed four Year 9 division one, and female coxed four Year 9 divisions one, two and three. Phoenix P-12 Community College won the female coxed four open division two.
The national fours heats will be contested on March 30, with repechages on Friday, semi-finals on Saturday and finals on Sunday, April 2.