Friday 26 February
State stars to compete in Victoria
Launceston Examiner, 26/02/10
SIX of Tasmania's magnificent seven Beijing Olympic rowers will be in action at next week's national titles in Victoria.
They include veteran Anthony Edwards, whose decision to keep competing lines up the prospect of an incredible fifth Olympics, while Kate Hornsey will be rowing in the colours of the host state following her move from Hobart.
Tamar's Brendan Long is the only Tasmanian rower from Beijing not competing at Nagambie Lakes as he continues his recovery from a back injury.
"The whole team has been performing really well," said Brett Crow, head rowing coach at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport.
"We have had several athletes preparing with the AIS in Canberra and are expecting good things from them. They are all in really good shape which is very encouraging."
New Norfolk's Edwards, who is also Rowing Tasmania's state development officer, will row the Penrith Cup with fellow Olympians Sam Beltz (Lindisfarne) and Huon's Tom Gibson plus Tamar's Blair Tunevitsch.
But he is staying coy about London in 2012.
"I've got back into it and I'm enjoying working with Brett," Edwards said. "We'll just see how things are progressing.
"I'm not ruling out going for another Olympics but I'm not locking it in either."
Gold medal winner Scott Brennan has also returned after a post-Olympic break and Crowe is confident he will be competitive in the heavyweight single.
"He should perform well because he always keeps himself in pretty good shape."
Kerry Hore completes the Beijing quota while Crowe is also expecting good results from Taylor Wilczynski, Ingrid Fenger, Carly Cottam, Ali Foot, Ella Flecker and Annabel Gibson.
Edwards has been impressed with the Hutchins boys and Launceston Church Grammar girls who will both contest the interstate regatta.
"We don't have as big a squad as we had for Lake Barrington last year but there is good representation by both the TIS and juniors," he said.
The Grammar girls team coached by John Hewitt, which won four titles at the state championships at Barrington earlier this month, has been performing well all season and will be among the favourites in school and under-19 events.
"This is a great opportunity for them to showcase what they are about," Edwards said.
"The great thing about nationals is that they bring together elite rowers and young future champions."
Thursday 25 February
Oar fired up with youthful enthusiasm
Shepparton News, 25/02/10
Nagambie will put a strong young team on its home lake next week when five rowing club members take on the nation at the Australian Rowing Championships and Interstate Regatta.
More than half of the 1600 competitors at the event will be 17 or younger and the trend towards youth applies to the home club as well.
More than 1800 seats will be filled on the water from Monday to Sunday, as the week-long event pits the peak of Australian rowing against the sport's future.
There is no shortage of targets for rowers to dream of at this year's nationals, be it the World Championships in New Zealand in October and November, the 2012 London Olympics or even the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Lake Nagambie last hosted the nationals in 2007 when the majority of its current crop was too young to compete.
Tallarook's Josh Ranger, Nagambie brothers Tim and Will Day, their neighbour Aaron Bunton and gold medallist from last year's nationals Renee Tattersall will represent Nagambie on the water.
Tim Day was on a pontoon boat-holding when the nationals were last at Lake Nagambie.
But the 17-year-old said at the time he wasn't thinking about going to a nationals himself.
"My mum was rowing socially and we (Tim and 19-year-old brother Will) just decided to go out in a boat while we were waiting," Tim said.
"That was about five or six years ago, from there it's just come together. We're getting serious about it now that we're getting older."
Tattersall, 16, won the under-17 quad scull gold last year with brother Alex, 13, coxing the team.
But injuries and other race commitments have broken up her squad, instead she will team with Ebony Tsomaropoulos from Essendon to chase a double sculls title.
"Last year we went in thinking we'd do better in our doubles," Tattersall said.
"In the singles I'd like to get to the semi-finals because it's only my first year in under-19s.
"Hopefully it's windy, because that's always a little bit of an advantage for us, we'd like to do well on our home course."
Tuesday 23 February
Close finishes for local rowers at Murray Bridge
Murray Pioneer, 23/02/10
Riverland competitors featured in a number of close finishes at the Murray Bridge Centenary Regatta recently.
Eight Berri Rowing Club members and Renmark young-gun Tom Sullivan attended the event, competing in a combined 10 heats from the 88-race schedule.
Sullivan helped the Murray Bridge/Renmark crew secure first place for the first grade men's coxless quad 2000m race, however he missed out on second spot in the 2000m first grade men's single scull by barely 10 seconds to Murray Bridge rower Sam Martin.
Berri's Ali Martin also performed well in what was her first time competing in the third grade women's scull, missing out on first place by just four seconds.
RESULTS:
First grade men's single scull 2000m – third: Renmark (T. Sullivan) 7:29.95 minutes.
Third grade men's coxed quad scull 1000m – sixth: Berri (A. Vowles, G. Reeks, T. Tucker, P. Othams, coxswain: A. Phillips) 4:09.41minutes.
Third grade women's single scull 1000m – second: Berri (A. Martin) 4:40.80 minutes, fourth: Berri (S. Skinner) 4:58.97 minutes.
Schoolboy first eight 2000m – by invitation: SA Youth Eight: (Ralph, Taverner, Ward, Maiorana, Clarke, Tonkin, T. Sullivan, Girardi, coxswain: Mitropoulos).
First grade men's eight 2000m - by invitation: Under 21 Youth VIII (Ralph, Taverner, Ward, Maiorana, Clarke, Tonkin, T. Sullivan, Lloyd).
Third grade men's single scull 1000m – second: Berri (G. Reeks) 4:58.73 minutes.
Third grade women's coxed quad scull 1000m – third: Berri (S. Skinner, E. Walter, A. Phillips, A. Martin, coxswain: P. Othams) 4:24.50 minutes.
First grade men's coxless quad 2000m – first: Murray Bridge/Renmark (Miegel, T. Sullivan, McRae, Martin) 6:42.92 minutes.
Third grade women's double scull 1000m – fourth: Berri (E. Walter, A. Martin) 4:31.34 minutes, fifth: Berri (A. Phillips, S. Skinner) 4:45.69 minutes.
Third grade men's double scull 1000m – third: Berri (P. Othams, T. Tucker) 4:10.28 minutes, fourth: Berri (A. Vowles, G. Reeks) 4:34.18 minutes.
Tuesday 23 February
Tassie's Cup mission
Adam Smith, Hobart Mercury, 23/02/10
Olympians vying for place in lightweight fours crew
REGAINING the Penrith Cup is mission No. 1 for Tasmania when the 2010 Australian Rowing Championships and Interstate Regatta kicks off on Lake Nagambie in Victoria next week.
Aside from individuals seeking higher honours, the state lightweight men's four will be keen to again emerge victorious in an event it once held a monopoly in.
Tasmania won eight consecutive Cups until 2006, and with the battle for seats in the crew this year hotter than ever there is a strong chance the Tasmanian four can snap rival Western Australia's three-year reign at the top.
Olympians Sam Beltz, Anthony Edwards and Tom Gibson, and Australian representatives Blair Tunevitsch and Ali Foot, will be pushing to make the final cut and again prove Tasmania is the home of lightweight rowing in the country.
All three Beijing representatives return following 12 months away from the water with TIS head rowing coach Brett Crow – who is 10 months into the role vacated by Rhett Ayliffe – confident of a strong showing at the March 1–7 nationals.
Up for grabs are spots in the Australian team for the 2010 World Championships in New Zealand in October–November and a number of local hopes will be pushing for selection.
"We've just had some state testing and they are all doing PBs and are all in very good shape after their breaks," Crow said.
"Everyone is pushing on and really looking forward to the nationals, which is great. Having had that 12 months down time, they are looking in shape and are enthusiastic about heading to the nationals.
"We are looking at getting the Penrith Cup back here in Tassie and with a good crew that is going well.
"All the lightweights will be trying to get into the lightweight four that will go away to New Zealand in November.
"We have got some pretty hot pairs racing at the nationals that will, hopefully, get them a foot in the door to trials."
Tamar duo Carly Cotton and Ingrid Fenger, both Australian representatives last year, will be pushing to back-up solid 2009 seasons. Ella Flecker is expected to shine in the under-23 section after an injury plagued last year.
Beltz and Fenger were the dominant rowers at the recent state championships at Lake Barrington, as was Mersey's Taylor Wilczynski in the under-23 male age group.
In a promising sign for Australian rowing, almost half of the 1600 regatta entrants are 17 or under, with the stars of the future to strut their stuff in front of the watchful gaze of state and national coaches and selectors.
Sunday 21 February
Fast start to season
Ollie Wilson-Haffenden, Sunday Tasmanian, 21/02/10
Southern schools in top form
The school rowing season started yesterday with the Southern Schools Regatta on the Huon River.
Ideal conditions greeted rowers and enabled a perfect start to the season with the morning providing fast, tight racing.
In the first event of the program, the schoolgirls' fours, a strong Guilford Young crew stroked by Amelia Florence beat Collegiate by two lengths. St Mary's College was third.
In the second race of the day, the schoolboys' eight, the Hutchins School built on its strong form from the club season, making the most of the favourable conditions to win in a blistering time of six minutes and four seconds.
The Hutchins crew, which was strengthened by the return of stroke Nathan Holloway after injury, was never challenged and beat The Friends' School by 13 seconds.
Hutchins dominated the open schoolboys' events, taking out both divisions of the double scull, quad scull and the schoolboys' four.
Hutchins will be looking to continue its winning ways, with crews heading to the national championships in a week.
Collegiate had a strong win in the schoolgirls' eight, showing remnants of the form which saw the school win the national title in the schoolgirls' eight last year.
Collegiate took an early lead and managed the strengthening afternoon wind best to beat St Mary's by a length and a half.
A healthy showing throughout the single scull events showcased a strong future for Tasmanian rowing, particularly in the schoolgirls' under-16 single sculls, where 27 boats were entered across four divisions.
St Mary's proved strongest in the event, with the two fastest scullers in Emily Scott and Maddison Rowbottom, who produced clear wins in their divisions.
In the schoolgirls' single scull, St Mary's College continued its winning form to take all three divisions in the event, with rower Mel Flanagan posting the fastest time by more than 20 seconds over her nearest rival and fellow school rower Jess Curtis.
Lake Barrington in the state's north will host the next school regatta in four weeks' time, with the Head of the River to be held at the same venue the following week.
Some of Tasmania's best school and club rowers will now turn their attention towards the national championships which begin in nine days on Lake Nagambie in Victoria.
Thursday 18 February
Rowers rule roost as numbers swell
Tweed Sun, 18/02/10
Success has club looking for new home
THE Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Rowing Club is looking to leave rivals in its wake when it hosts its annual Northern Rivers Rowing Association regatta at Murwillumbah on Sunday.
The club, which was established in 1946, is looking to build on its third placing in the Rowing Queensland club championship.
The regatta, to be held in the Murwillumbah reach of the Tweed River, is expected to attract more than 300 rowers from the Northern Rivers and South East Queensland.
Club president Garry Annand said many rowers would be using the regatta as a final preparation for the national titles which will be held in Victoria in early March.
"We have some very promising juniors and a good contingent of veterans so I think we should do well," he said.
"We are really building a solid junior base with kids from Murwillumbah, the Tweed and some from the southern Gold Coast now rowing with us.
"One of our juniors, Ben Walsh, 15, from St Joseph's College won the Queensland under 16 State title and the Northern Rivers under 16 title in single sculls and will be competing at the nationals."
Mr Annand said the club, which had 70 members, including 40 competitive rowers, was now facing a situation where it could not keep up with the number of people wanting to row and would be looking to use new facilities in the near future.
"We will have to leave our boat shed next to Boyds Bay Bridge by order of the Lands Department, which wants to develop the site, but they are going to help us relocate further up Terranora Inlet near the maritime museum," said Mr Annand.
"Hopefully we will be able to build better facilities out at West Tweed which will allow us to expand and cater for many more school-aged and social rowers."
The Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Rowing Club regatta will get underway from 8.30am just east of the Murwillumbah Bridge.
Thursday 18 February
McRae dominates Murray Bridge Centenary Regatta
Murray Valley Standard, 18/02/10
ROWING: Beijing Olympian James McRae celebrated the Murray Bridge Rowing Club's Centenary in the perfect way when he won the first grade single sculls race on Saturday.
The Olympian had to work hard all the way through the 2000-metre race to hold off a strong challenge from club-mate Sam Martin, who represented the State last year in the interstate single sculls State of Origin event.
McRae raced a top class time of seven minutes and 16.10 seconds to win the first grade event by 3.73 seconds from a determined Martin with Tom Sullivan, from Renmark, a further 10.12 seconds back in third place. Prince Alfred College scored a quinella win in the feature handicap event for the three-mile eights, with the second eight taking advantage of a good handicap to win by over a boat-length ahead of the school's first eight.
The Adelaide first grade mens eight were the back markers at the start and made up a huge timed handicap to finish third and just 0.35 seconds ahead of the Annesley college girls first eight, who held the lead through the middle of the classic long distance event.
The event emulated the distance raced by the early pioneers of South Australian rowing.
Adelaide won the first grade mens eights by 1.18 seconds from St Peters College while Scotch College were third only 4.02 seconds behind.
There were no senior clubs entered in the prestigious womens first grade eights so the centenary medals were won by Scotch College by 1.77 seconds from Walford, with Seymour third.
There was a huge crowd on the river banks to see nearly 90 races rowed in ideal conditions at the regatta.
The regatta celebrated the foundation of oldest and most successful rowing club on the River Murray in South Australia, Murray Bridge.
Wednesday 17 February
Hundreds take to the water at Nagambie Champions Row
Seymour Telegraph, 17/02/10
Nagambie Regatta Centre came to life at the weekend as 1500 rowers on Saturday and 400 on Sunday took to the water in the Victorian Rowing Championships.
The event was a promising forerunner for the Australian championships that start in Nagambie next month, with the state championships attracting a hot field in preparation.
Olympic gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics in double sculls David Crawshay was the star attraction of the meet, along with silver medallists Cameron McKenzie McHarg and James Maburg (coxless four) and world champion rower Alice McNamara.
Nagambie rowers enjoyed some success among a mix of results on home water at the weekend in the Victorian Rowing Championships.
Renee Tattersall was half the winning team in the female under-19 double scull with Essendon's Emily Tsomaropoulos, she also finished third in the under-19 single scull.
Brothers Will and Tim Day finished second in the male lightweight double scull and male B-grade coxless pair, while Tim finished second in the male under-19 single scull.
Aaron Bunton was third in the male school single scull and second in the male C grade double scull.
Joshua Ranger was third in the male under-17 single scull and second in the male D grade single scull A-final.
Glenn Fischmann was second in the double scull final and won the B-grade double scull final, he was also part of the Nagambie Composite team that finished second in the male open quad scull final.
Nagambie used new start lights and a new timing system, Rowing Victoria executive Nick Gall said both had worked well.
"We wanted to see excellent crews rowing and our expectations have been exceeded by the crews going to the nationals in two weeks' time," Rowing Victoria president Andrew Guerin said.
"The depth of quality here has been sensational and we're looking forward to a great national championships."
Crawshay won the men's open single scull in 7:20.98, before teaming with runner-up in the event Karsten Fosterling to win the double scull in 7:11.93, almost 12 seconds clear of second place.
But the gold medallists' Mercantile team was unable to win one of yesterday's most hotly contested events, going down to Melbourne University by 6.99 seconds.
McNamara won the female single lightweight single scull for Melbourne University, the lightweight double scull and the female A-grade coxed eight.
Beijing Olympian Kim Crow was five seconds clear as the winner of the female open single scull in a time of 8:26.00.
About 50 volunteers from the Nagambie region assisted in the running of the event.
The future of Australian rowing could well emerge at Nagambie in two weeks' time when the Nagambie Regatta Centre hosts the Australian Championships from March 1 to 7.
While a host of Olympians and London 2012 hopefuls will be hitting the water, a younger generation with designs on Rio de Janeiro in 2016 will also be pushed to the limit.
Rowing Victoria's state development co-ordinator Richard Bartlett has been heading up development teams of under-23 and under-19 rowers and was keeping a keen eye on the 205 races that hit the water at Nagambie in the weekend's state championships.
A berth at this year's World Championships in New Zealand can only be earned via a national trial, on offer for those who perform at Nagambie in the nationals.
A host of athletes Bartlett hopes will break into the national scene are competing under his watch, with surprise packages like Mercantile Rowing Club's Katrina Bateman among them.
"She's only been rowing for a month and she's won three state championships this weekend," Bartlett said.
"We found her in a talent identification program, she came from a surf life-saving background."
Bateman won the female D-single scull, the C-double scull and the under-19 single scull.
Tuesday 16 February
State of readiness – rowers in form
Warrnambool Standard, 16/02/10
NESTLES Rowing Club hopes its form at Lake Nagambie on the weekend is an ominous sign.
The club sent a group to compete in the Rowing Victoria Championships and returned from the state's north with a medal haul.
Club president Tom Bertrand hoped for similar performances in a couple of weeks' time, when the national titles are contested at the same location.
Aaron Skinner was the sole club member to secure gold on the weekend. It marked back-to-back state title wins in the adaptive scull for the reigning national champion, who edged out fellow Nestles rower Chris Murray to claim top honours.
Emmanuel College student Bernadette Meade finished second in the schoolgirls' scull while her sister Angela also managed a silver.
She teamed up with Rachael Mahony in the under 17 double scull.
The duo also took out bronze in the D grade double scull.
Jackson Bertrand and Adam Wright, who were coxed by Val Bertrand, finished with a silver in the D grade men's.
Tom Bertrand said the form of Tim Welsh was also encouraging seeing as he had been sculling for only a few weeks.
"It's the first time a lot of them have represented the club at that level, so they did well," he said.
The national titles are from March 1–7.
Monday 15 February
Bartlett impressed by what he sees from the future stars
Shepparton News, 15/02/10
The future of Australian rowing could well emerge at Nagambie in two weeks' time when the Nagambie Regatta Centre hosts the Australian Championships from March 1 to 7.
While a host of Olympians and London 2012 hopefuls will be hitting the water, a younger generation with designs on Rio de Janeiro in 2016 will also be pushed to the limit.
Rowing Victoria's state development coordinator David Bartlett has been heading up development teams of under-23 and under-19 rowers and was keeping a keen eye on the 205 races that hit the water at Nagambie in the weekend's state championships.
A berth at this year's World Championships in New Zealand can only be earned via a national trial, on offer for those who perform at Nagambie in the nationals.
A host of athletes Bartlett hopes will break into the national scene are competing under his watch, with surprise packages like Mercantile Rowing Club's Katrina Bateman among them.
"She's only been rowing for a month and she's won three state championships this weekend," Bartlett said.
"We found her in a talent identification program, she came from a surf life-saving background."
Bateman won the female D-single scull, the C-double scull and the under-19 single scull.
Nagambie rowers enjoyed some success among a mix of results on home water at the weekend in the Victorian Rowing Championships.
Renee Tattersall was half of the winning team in the female under-19 double scull with Essendon's Emily Tsomaropoulos, she also finished third in the under-19 single scull.
Brothers Will and Tim Day finished second in the male lightweight double scull and male B-grade coxless pair, while Tim finished second in the male under-19 single scull.
Aaron Bunion was third in the male school single scull and second in the male C grade double scull.
Joshua Ranger was third in the male under-17 single scull and second in the male D grade single scull A-final.
Glenn Fischmann was second in the double scull final and won the B-grade double scull final, he was also part of the Nagambie Composite team which finished second in the male open quad scull final.
Friday 12 February
Olympians bolster crews: Keen battle for state rowing titles
Hobart Mercury, 12/02/10
CLUB rowing reaches its peak this weekend with the Tasmanian state championships to be held over two days at Lake Barrington this weekend.
The championships include 124 races and 50 championship races for varying boat classes and ages.
The championships will feature world-class athletes with a number of Olympic and Australian representatives competing over the two days.
Lindisfarne's Sam Beltz, who has returned to the sport of rowing after a year off, is one of the three Olympic athletes.
After an initial slow start to the season he is looking to be return to form and is the hot favourite for the men's senior single scull, men's pair and men's lightweight single scull.
The men's lightweight single scull is traditionally a closely contested event with Tasmania having a strong history in the lightweight category.
"We have quite a high standard of lightweight rowing in Tasmania and a strong group of athletes at the moment," Sam Beltz said.
Beltz said the standard of rowing in Tasmania has improved in his absence, particularly under the influence of new Institute of Sport head coach Brett Crow.
This year's lightweight single will see a world class field and will feature Beijing Olympics doubles partners Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson separate as a combination and do battle for the state title.
"We both haven't done a lot of racing this year ... let's just say I'm eagerly anticipating getting on the start line and seeing how we match up," Beltz said. All three Olympians will also feature in the non-championship men's senior pair.
The event, which is a first time inclusion for the championships, will see both under- 23 and senior club composite crews compete.
The crews will also compete at the national championships and this weekend provides a chance to get race practice ahead of the nationals in two weeks.
The women's lightweight single should see a close battle between all four members of the women's lightweight quad, who have been selected to compete at the national chainpionships.
Australian representatives Carly Cottom and Ingrid Fenger, both of Tamar, are hot favourites but will face stiff competition from past under-23 world championship bronze medallist Ella Flecker, who has had an injury-plagued year.
The weekend will also feature school crews, who are now into full training, ahead of the start of the school season proceeding the state championships.
The men's senior eight on Sunday features Hutchins' battle against current titleholder Lindisfarne and strong crews from Tamar and Mersey.
The weekend will showcase the state's potential talent in the under-17, under-19 and under-23 events.
The state championships will be the last racing opportunity for crews ahead of the national championships.
Weather conditions are expected to be ideal.
Racing starts at 8am beginning with heat one of the men's lightweight single scull.
Thursday 11 February
Goolwa dominate regatta
Victor Harbor Times, 11/02/10
ROWING: Goolwa Rowing Club based at The Marina, Hindmarsh Island had a successful day of rowing at the regatta hosted by Mannum Rowing Club.
With a number of regattas being cancelled due to extreme heat last year, it was good to get back out on the water.
A breeze on the course meant that rowing to the start was a bit more difficult but the wind was then helping for the race.
Six female rowers made the trip to Mannum along with race official Bryan O'Donnell. Sue West, coxswain for the day, coxed the first race of the program for a composite masters mixed quad of Riverside and Mannum. The handicap of 22 seconds was no issue for this crew and they won the race comfortably.
Next on the water were the women's doubles with two Goolwa crews competing. Lisanne Edgar and Stef Wilden won this, with Sue Briton-Jones and Elspeth Brown taking out second.
The women's singles race saw three Goolwa rowers competing for second, third and fourth. A Riverside rower took out line honours followed by Stef, Lisanne and Elspeth. In this race Elspeth had to give away 18 seconds at the start and Stef and Lisanne had to wait out 27 seconds, making it very difficult to catch the winner.
Next on the program was the masters women's coxed four. Lisanne set a beautiful pace followed by Stef, Mary Gogan and Sue Briton-Jones. This crew had never rowed this combination before but still took out gold, validating the club motto of 'any seat, any boat, any time'.
It was also the first win for the Andrew Chapman, the club boat launched last year.
In the third grade women's quad the Goolwa crew came in third beating some high school teams again proving that youth and inexperience is no match for old age. The crew consisted of Sue West (cox), Lisanne Edgar, El Brown, Mary Gogan, Sue Briton Jones.
The last race of the day saw Stef Wilden combine with Mannum in the masters mixed eight. Eights are always an exciting combination to row and this was made even more so when the bow seat came adrift and Stef Wilden had to complete almost the entire race with no slide.
The regatta season continues over the next few months with the state championships on May 1.
Wednesday 10 February
Tough competitors primed
Bunbury Mail, 10/02/10
ROWING: Eleven teenagers have pushed themselves beyond their over the past seven months to prepare for the national rowing stage.
Their extreme commitment will come down to seven minute races and drive their heart and lungs to bursting point at the week-long national championships in regional Victoria starting March 1.
Bunbury Rowing Club coach Jamie Jones said the team's commitment to push themselves as far as possible had kept them going through 13 training sessions a week.
"They're not normal kids, they're special, normal kids don't get out of bed in the early hours of the morning," Jones said.
"And you will find these kids go on to something special in life, not just on the water."
At stake for the rowers is an invitation to a regatta where Australian teams are selected.
The club is sending a younger team than last year, but Jones said their endurance and confidence was immeasurable.
"They are probably better than some more able athletes they will go up against because they're tougher," he said.
The athletes were selected on ability and performance from the club's high school program.
"The pathway for these kids is the school program then the club, then State champs then they go to the nationals where if they do well there is the chance to represent Australia," Jones said.
Justin Oliva, 16, said he was looking forward to his second time competing in the nationals.
"I was very nervous last year, maybe the most I've ever been in my whole life," he said.
"When you row up to the line all that training comes down to a seven minute race."
Oliva is feeling faster than last year and has moved up to the under 23 lightweight division.
Like many in the team, the Year 12 student also holds a part time job and thrives on a challenge.
"I just want to see how far I can push myself and how fast I can make myself go," he said.
Before training even starts the rowers are asked to set their goals and Jones informs their parents about the hard road ahead as he knows there will be plenty of ups and downs along the way.
"From a coaching perspective it is a challenge – they are pushed to breaking point at times," Jones said.
"They have a lot of opportunity to give up but it is their personal choice to go through."
Jones said when former AFL star Glen Jakovich addressed the group last year he was amazed at the workload the teenagers carried.
"Professional athletes really do take their hat off to the effort the rowers all put in," he said.
The club has built a strong development program and produced rowers which have represented Australia and many more at State level.
Notably Alex Hagan and Dave Prosser and there is plenty of potential among the nationals team.
Jones has been involved in the sport for decades and was in the Australian squad training for the 1984 Olympics.
Setting up the Bunbury rowing program in the early 1990s his credentials now include coaching at international level.
He dedicates 30 unpaid hours a week to the club and is at the crossroads now where he could pursue coaching full time at a higher level.
Tuesday 9 February
Hannah on track for London 2012
Noosa News, 09/02/10
Noosa's sporting comeback supermum, rower Hannah Every-Hall, continues to power on towards her goal of representing Australia at the London Olympics in 2012.
Her proud husband Michael said on Saturday morning Hannah won the NSW State Lightweight Single scull titles.
"She won by a margin of four seconds from fellow Queenslander and doubles partner Tara Kelly of the Tweed club," Michael said.
Third was last year's Australian lightweight representative Bronwen Watson.
"This means Hannah now holds the Queensland and New South Wales state titles in the single scull.
"Hannah and Tara then competed in the heavyweight double scull for extra racing prior to the national titles in three weeks.
"They almost pulled off the biggest upset of the regatta by finishing second behind Australian representative heavyweight rower Sally Kehoe (and partner) by only 0.5 seconds."
Michael said this was after being down by five seconds at the halfway mark of the 2000m race.
"In finishing second, they finished in front of Australia's fastest sculler Pippa Savage and partner, former Olympian lightweight Marguerite Houston.
"This was a huge result for two lightweights against the heavyweights."
Hannah, a former world champion, is now preparing for the Australian Titles in Nagambie in early March.
Monday 8 February
Local club in form
Moonee Valley Leader, 08/02/10
ESSENDON Rowing Club displayed good form late last month in the lead-up to Rowing Victoria's State Championships.
At the Ballarat Regatta in Nagambie, Ebony Tsomaropoulos teamed with Nagambie's Renee Tattersall to win the female under-19 Double Scull, impressing state and national selectors.
In the male C Coxed Eight the young crew of Michael Kaczmarek, Cameron Pelech, Sam Lavery, Sam Thorburn, Gus McRae-Johns, Tyson Mangles, James Kendall, Ben Hemming and cox Pat Hibbert held off fast-finishing crews from Powerhouse and Carey Grammar to claim victory.
Only 1.1 seconds separated the first three crews in what could be a preview of what is to come in the state championships.
Tsomaropoulos produced another strong performance at the WH Pincott Barwon Regatta last weekend, dominating in the female under-19 Single Scull, while Essendon's women also had wins in the B Coxed Four and the B Coxed Quad Scull.
Tara Bowman had success in the D Single Scull, before combining with Holly Deans to win the D Double Scull.
The state championships will be held in Nagambie this weekend.
Friday 5 February
School fields strong contingent at regatta
Sam Rigney, Maitland Mercury, 5/02/10
Hunter Valley Grammar School students will take to the water this weekend at the NSW Rowing Championships Regatta in Sydney.
The school will have a strong contingent at the event, held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, including Conrad Bond, who will compete in the championship men's elite single scull on Saturday.
Bond will also line up in the under-19s lightweight single scull and the championship schoolboy single and double scull on Sunday.
Katherine Weatherall and Lena Latham-Cannon will be opponents in the championship women's under-19 single scull and the schoolgirls' single scull before they team up together in the championship double scull on Sunday.
Brin Anseline-McCaskie and Charlotte Weatherall will contest the under-17 double scull together on Saturday before Rebecca Humphris and Taylor Curtis join them for the under-17 quad scull on Sunday.
Other Hunter Valley Grammar students competing at the regatta include Chloe Hutchinson, Holly Lawrence, Patrick Ireland, James Levick, Damon Mills, Aimee Hill, Tia-Rose Mills, Gabrielle Giles, Shannon Grassby, Jessica Beadle, Llewellyn Thomas, Nicholas Minch, Matthew Bajramovic, Austin Bond and Ainslie Duignan-Teys.
Thursday 4 February
In Burke and Wills' path
West Australian, 4/02/10
Two British adventurers will follow in the footsteps of Burke and Wills in a trek across the Australian outback. Former double Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell and TV presenter Ben Fogle plan to set out in October on a walk of more than 6000km from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria and back. The pair have already rowed across the Atlantic and competed in a foot race to the South Pole.
Wednesday 3 February
Job for coach
Courier Mail, 3/02/10
FORMER US Olympic rowing coach Curtis Jordan has become NSW Institute of Sport head rowing coach. The head coach at Princeton University for 19 years before retiring last year, Jordan guided the US men's lightweight four to a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Tuesday 2 February
Corowa Rowing Club brings home some medals
Corowa Free Press, 2/02/10
The Corowa Rowing Club competed on Saturday, January 23 at the Ballarat Regatta which is held on the Nagambie Lake.
Conditions were tough at Nagambie Lake with 30–40 knot headwinds by the afternoon which put rowers under additional pressure and made racing more difficult.
Corowa came home with two wins for the day by the young crew consisting of John Webb, John Raschke, Lewis McCrum and Jake Kruen.
The Male D Grade Four – John Webb, John Raschke, Lewis McCrum, Jake Kruen coxed by Tom Whitechurch came home to win against some tough competition.
The Male D Grade Quad – John Webb, John Raschke, Lewis McCrum, Jake Kruen coxed by Harrison Borg again had a great row and came home with their second win for the day.
Other competitors for the day included Robert Eyers in the Male C Grade Scull: Brittany Stones and Katherine Raschke in the Female D Grade Double and Cherie Collins, Georgie Goodear, Jill McCrum, Bronwyn Collins coxed by Olivia Stones in the Female D Grade Quad.
Monday 1 February
Geelong rowers on top on Barwon
Geelong Advertiser, 1/02/10
GEELONG crews cleaned up at the weekend's 129th WH Pincott Barwon Regatta.
Sacred Heart, Geelong College, Barwon and Corio Bay clubs netted a total of 10 wins in the two-day event on the Barwon River.
Almost 1500 athletes, 578 crews descended on Geelong for the annual regatta, which featured 88 events and 271 races across the weekend.
Sacred Heart's female crews had a weekend to remember, winning four finals.
They won the A Grade coxed scull, under-17 coxed quad scull, the C Grade coxed scull and the open school's coxed quad scull.
Barwon was in the medals, with Tenniele Linehan-Downes and Laura Tetschel- Middleton winning the under-17 double scull, while Lauren Battaglia and Serena Peardon claimed the A Grade double scull.
Peardon also saluted in the women's C Grade single scull and Battaglia won the A Grade/Open single scull.
Geelong also won the A Grade coxed pairs final, with Corio Bay's Tim Wright and Scott Penning claiming line honours, while Corio Bay's USA competitor Derek Rubin won the B Grade single scull.
Ballarat's St Patrick's crew snared victory in the male schools coxed fours, Scotch College won the male school's open eight and Clarendon College notched up a win in the coxed fours.
Geelong Rowing Association secretary Brian Digby yesterday hailed the regatta a success.
"It was a great couple of days. Yesterday (Saturday) it was warmish and there was no issues as far as the wind goes ... we've got a very good rowing course and it's seldom affected by the breeze.
"Today (yesterday) was warm and the wind was gusty but it wasn't until the cold front came that we had to cancel the last half hour."
Officials were forced to abandon the final 10 races of the meet when an electrical storm hit shortly after 4pm.
