Brentwood Rowing Alumni Still Pulling

7 April 2013Mr. Brian Carr, Boys Varsity 8+ Coach

Last weekend Malcolm Howard, Class of 2001, stroked the Oxford 8+ in the 159th running of the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race. His crew of internationals raced down the Thames River course in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the race as millions of television viewers all across the globe too it in as well. With a clean start, Malcolm and his Dark Blue crew got out in front and never looked back. The margin of victory at the end of the race was one and a half lengths. For more on Malcolm please see http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/victoria-rower-malcolm-howard-strokes-oxford-to-win-in-boat-race-1.101381 The same weekend, Ben Coull (University of British Columbia) and Connor McGuigan (University of Victoria), both Class of 2010, raced in the Brown Cup. This is a replica of the Oxford/Cambridge race over the same distance. This year’s edition was raced on the Fraser River in front of spectators and television cameras for a live stream. After a clash of blades in the first 100 meters, the UBC crew stretched their lead to six seconds at the finish line. Andrew Butler, Class or 2009, and the ‘beast’ in “Beauty and the Beast” in the school’s musical production in 2008, stroked the UVIC Reserve 8+ in the race that preceded the Varsity 8+ race. The UVIC crew trailed for most of the race, until the final 1000 meters where they were able to gain an advantage and win the race by four seconds. Adelaide Backer, Class of 2010, is currently rowing in seven seat of the Radcliffe (Harvard) First Varsity Lightweight 8+. This past weekend she raced against MIT and Boston University and won easily claiming the Beanpot Trophy. Next weekend they race against Georgetown University. All information about Radcliffe lightweight women can be found at http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wcrew-lw/index Jordan Wille, Class of 2010 is currently rowing with the Queen’s University team. After winning the Lightweight 8+ at the Ontario University Championships in October and declaring themselves the fastest lightweight crew in Canada, he is gearing up for the Queens/McGill Boat Race being held in Kingston on May 1st. Erica Meyer, 2011, is currently coxing at the University of San Diego and was recently named to the WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll with a 3.17 GPA. For Erica’s full post-secondary rowing biography please see http://usdtoreros.cstv.com/sports/w-rowing/mtt/erica_mayer_767699.html Paiton Brierley, Class of 2011, is rowing with the University of Cardiffe in Wales. After a successful winter campaign in the Men’s Intermediate 8+ and Intermediate 3 4+, his crew is preparing for the British Universities Championships in May. Claire Vannelli, Class of 2011, rowing for Duke University’s Varsity 8+, has already raced in two competitions this Spring, winning both competitions. In the fall, Claire and her pair partner were named Duke’s “student athletes of the month” an incredible honor, considering Duke is one of the top athletic universities in United States. Jack Kornfeld, Class of 2011, is presently coxing at the University of California Berkeley. He has not been assigned to a particular crew yet, however, he is in the mix for the National Championships at the beginning of June. Martin Barakso, Class of 2012, is rowing for Princeton University. In the fall of 2011, Martin was diagnosed with a severey herniated disc in his lower back and it was questionable whether or not he would ever row again. After competing for the Canadian National Junior team in 2010 and 2011, everything was put on hold. Martin went to Princeton in the fall and met with some of the top neurosurgeons in the United States. After much consultation with his doctors, he went under the knife and had surgery to fix his back. Fast forward six months and Martin is back to where he was before the injury. His 2000 meter erg score is down to 6:08 and he has secured a position in Princeton’s Junior Varsity 8+. A new rule by the American Rowing Association allows freshmen rowers to compete in boats other than the Freshmen 8+. This is the first time in Princeton’s history that an underclassman has rowed in a boat other than the Freshmen 8+. His crew cruised to victory this past weekend over Syracuse and Georgetown. On the national scene, Spencer Crowley, Class of 2007 and Class of 2011 from the University of California Berkeley, is currently training with the Canadian Senior National team in preparation for the upcoming world cup events in Europe this summer. Spencer and the rest of the Canadian team will be racing this weekend at the Dueling over a Grand Regatta at the Victoria City Rowing Club. If there are other Bretonian rowers out there still competing, please let me know; we would love the highlight your stories. Mr. Brian Carr, Boys Varsity 8+ Coach carrb@brentwood.bc.ca

Where Students Choose To Be