July BC NextGen Performance Centre Update

The pace at the BCNGPC has picked up since the start of the summer with several new athletes joining the program. These athletes come to us as local athletes returning from school in other parts of Canada and the USA, as well as some athletes who came from Rowing Canada Aviron’s Ranking camp. We are up to 24 athletes on our list of both Centralized and Regional Performance Centre athletes. Following the RCA Ranking camp in May, several athletes from the BCNGPC have been elevated into the National Training Centre Senior program. Well done Kristen Siermachesky (Maple Bay Rowing Club), Kailani Marchak (Victoria City Rowing Club), Alizée Brien (Montreal Rowing Club) and Shaye De Paiva (Queens University/Calgary Rowing Club)!

Recently the group competed at the Challenge West Regatta at Elk Lake. BCNGPC athletes placed well in the small boat events. The Men’s Single event was dominated by BCNGPC athletes with Shane Willis (Peterborough Rowing Club) in first place, 2nd place was Alex Gonin (Victoria City Rowing Club), and 3rd place was Gunnar Platt (Shawnigan Lake School). On the Women’s side in the single, BCNGPC took down the top two spots. Gold for Trish Mara (Victoria City Rowing Club) and silver for Brienne Miller (North Star Rowing). 

Trish teamed up with Claire Kendall (University of Toronto) to win the Open W2x event while Alex Gonin (Victoria City Rowing Club) and Mitchell Rogers (St. Catharines Rowing Club) won the Men’s 2-. Fourth place went to the new BCNGPC combination of Quinn McCoy (Claremont Sports Institute) and Gunner Platt (Shawnigan Lake School).

Next up is the BC Provinical Championships Regatta in Burnaby July 21-23rd. The BCNGPC group will be in action in the Men’s and Women’s singles and pairs, Men’s fours and a special combination crew of UVIC and UBC Women in the 8+ preparing to race the Championship 8+ Race at Canadian Henley in August.