McGill dominates Queen's to claim Challenge Cup rowing competition
LACHINE, Que. - The McGill University rowing team won six of eight races to capture the 16th annual Queen's-McGill Boat Challenge on the Lachine Canal, Saturday.
It was McGill's first overall title in four years and the victory improved McGill's record to 7-9 overall for the Lorne Gales Challenge Cup, which is the Canadian equivalent of the Oxford-Cambridge race in England and the Harvard-Yale competition in the United States.
In the women's division, McGill swept all four events, including both varsity heavyweight races and a pair of novice races, to outscore Queen's 6-0 and take home the Challenge Trophy for only the fifth time since it was first presented in 1999. It was the Martlets first victory since 2009.
Two points are awarded for a varsity victory and one point for a novice win.
The McGill women's heavy eight completed the 3,000-metre head race in 11 minutes and 35.17 seconds, some seven seconds ahead of the Gaels (11.42.20). In the second race, a 500-metre sprint, the Martlets were clocked in 2:15.55, finishing four seconds ahead of Queen's (2:19.58).
The winning McGill crew included Montreal natives Clémence Fortier-Morissette (bow seat) and Juliette Robert-Bigras, followed in order by Jennifer Jones of Gatineau, Que., Emily Collins of West Roxbury, Mass., Mira Anand of Dundas, Ont., Ronalee Gutland of Woodstock, Ont., Kalyna Franko of Toronto and Luce Bourbeau of Cap-aux-Meules, Que., in the stroke seat. The coxswain was Laura Marks, a native of St. Leonard, Que.
In the novice boat, McGill won both races, taking the 3000m in 12:10.23 and the 500m in 2:25.42. Queen's was a distant second, finishing in 12:53.84 and 2:35.17, respectively.
The only victories on the day for Queen's came in the men's heavy eight boats. They claimed the 3000m in 9:41.25 and the 500m in 1:49.73 to claim the Challenge Blade Trophy for the second straight year and the ninth time since it was first presented in 1997. The McGill eight posted times of 9:54.67 and 1:53.48, respectively.
The Redmen, however, bounced back to sweep both novice races, taking the 3000m in 10:43.24 and the 500m in 2:05.20. Queen's posted times of 11:56.46 and 2:17.38, respectively.
McGILL ROSTER FOR 2012 QUEEN'S-McGILL CHALLENGE
(listed by seating order in each boat)
Varsity Heavyweight Women's Eight:
Bow Seat - Clémence Fortier-Morissette, bio-resource engineering, sophomore, Montreal, Que.
Seat 2 - Juliette Robert-Bigras, French literature, junior, Montreal, Que.
Seat 3 - Jennifer Jones, psychology, junior, Gatineau, Que.
Seat 4 - Emily Collins, history, junior, West Roxbury, MA
Seat 5 - Mira Anand, environmental science, sophomore, Dundas, Ont.
Seat 6 - Ronalee Gutland, anatomy & cell biology, junior, Woodstock, Ont.
Seat 7 - Kalyna Franko, linguistics & psychology, junior, Toronto, Ont.
Stroke Seat - Luce Bourbeau, political science, sophomore, Cap-aux-Meules, Que.
Coxswain - Laura Marks, history, sophomore, St. Leonard, Que.
Varsity Heavyweight Men's Eight:
Bow Seat- Luis Orozco, architecture, junior, Toronto, Que.
Seat 2 - *Andrew Tozer, earth system science, senior, Port Hope, Ont.
Seat 3 - Yann Beaulieu, civil engineering, sophomore, Quebec City, Que.
Seat 4 - Philippe Toren, mechanical engineering, sophomore, Pierrefonds, Que.
Seat 5 - Graham Boechler, electrical engineering (Masters 1), Calgary, Alta.
Seat 6 - Mark York, particle physics (PhD 1), Toronto, Ont.
Seat 7 - Liam Kirwin, economics, junior, Edmonton, Alta.
Stroke Seat - Robert Laniel, mechanical engineering, sophomore, Gatineau, Que.
Coxswain - Nicole Bewski, physical education, sophomore, Winnipeg, Man.
(Alternate coxie - Philippe Bouchard, medicine, freshman, Quebec City, Que.)
Novice Women's Eight:
Bow Seat - Andrea Toren, occupational therapy (Master's 1), Montreal, Que.
Seat 2 - Patricia Goerner-Potvin, microbiology (Master's 1), Deux Montagnes, Que.
Seat 3 - Amy Lorincz, economics & molecular biology, freshman, Toronto, Ont.
Seat 4 - Carolina Campos, physiology, freshman, Mississauga, Ont.
Seat 5 - Elana Evans, arts & science, sophomore, Calgary, Alta.
Seat 6 - Genevieve Munro, psychology, junior, Chelsea, Que.
Seat 7 - Charlotte Skinner, political science & history, junior, London, England.
Stroke Seat - Mieke Hagesteijn, arts & science, freshman, King City, Ont.
Coxswain - Kathryn Jones, nursing, freshman, Toronto, Ont.
Novice Men's Eight:
Bow Seat - Vince Tuyen Ta, physiology, freshman, Montreal, Que.
Seat 2 - Kyle Leroux, architecture, freshman, St. Lazare, Que.
Seat 3 - Michael Orenstein, anatomy & cell biology, freshman, Montreal, Que.
Seat 4 - Shaun Lampen, anatomy & cell biology, freshman, Cape Town, South Africa
Seat 5 - Matthew Chaim, management, freshman, Montreal, Que.
Seat 6 - Alexander Langslow, psychology, freshman, Hong Kong, China
Seat 7 - Marc Bedard, science, freshman, Montreal, Que.
Stroke Seat - *Andrew Tozer, earth system science, senior, Port Hope, Ont.
Coxswain - Pierre-Luc Laforge-Garant, mechanical engineering, sophomore, Trois-Rivieres, Que.
*competing in two different boats
Past Lorne Gales Challenge Cup Recipients (overall champions)
2012 - McGill
2011 - Queen's
2010 - Queen's
2009 - McGill
2008 - Queen's
2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
1997 - McGill
Past Challenge Blade Recipients (men's champions)
2012 - Queen's
2011 - Queen's
2010 - McGill
2009 - Queen's
2008 - Queen's
2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - McGill
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
1997 - McGill
Past Challenge Trophy Recipients (women's champions)
2012 - McGill
2011 - Queen's
2010 - Queen's
2009 - McGill
2008 - McGill
2007 - Queen's
2006 - McGill
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - Queen's
2002 - Queen's
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Philippe Bouchard
VP-External
McGill University Rowing Club
philippe.bouchard [at] mail.mcgill.ca
514 216-7040
or
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)