The University of Toronto Varsity Blues rowing team had six outstanding performances, reaching the podium six times at the 2009 OUA championships on Saturday, October 24 in St. Catharines, Ont.
As he has done for most of the season, Michael Braithwaite led the way with another near-perfrect performance in the men’s single. The Duncan, B.C. native got off to a quick start and held a considerable lead at the halfway mark, leaving every other sculler in a battle for second place as he claimed OUA gold.
Elise Mackie (Calgary, Alta.) and Lindsay Tetreault (Oakville, Ont.) also finished first, fighting off a strong push from several university boats in the women’s double to garner another gold medal for the Toronto team.
In another tight race and battle to the finish, the women’s four team of Mackie, Tetreault, Kalyna Kardash (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Caro Kronlachner (Toronto) and coxswain Kathleen Romatowski (St. Catharines, Ont.) garnered a silver medal.
Braithwaite earned his second medal of the day with teammate Mike Harowicz as the duo battled through a tough final to win the silver medal.
Toronto natives Lauren Brown and Christina Malinas picked up two bronze medals on the water’s of the Royal Canadian Henley Course. The duo placed third in the women’s lightweight double before joining Romatowski and Kate and Jenn Sauks (Owen Sound, Ont.) to boast bronze in the women’s lightweight four.
Other notable performances include Alanna Komisar’s (Calgary, Alta.) fifth-place finishes in both the women’s light single and heavy single. In addition, Jeff Chadwick (Hamilton, Ont.), Mike Harowicz (Oakville, Ont.), Scott Sinclair (Abbotsford, B.C.), Neill Mears (Oakville, Ont.) and coxswain Ali Zimmerman (Toronto) placed fourth in the men’s coxed four, beating the perennial powerhouse Queen’s Gaels.
The Varsity Blues return to the water next weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) as they head to Montreal, Que. for the 2009 Canadian university rowing championships.
For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.
