Launceston College has continued to emerge as the newest school rowing force after the Tasmanian School Rowing Championships.
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“They have just had such an exceptional weekend. The boys have just raced strongly in everything,” Rowing Tasmania’s Rob Prescott said.
“It just caps off a very good season in their club racing.”
The public school’s biggest claim was beating traditional powerhouses, Hutchins and Scotch Oakburn, to cross the line first for the prestigious schoolboys eights title.
The crew of Bradley Riley, Phillip Dikkenberg, Ethan McCulllagh, Braidyn Dawe-Wright, Jack Barrett, Matthew Dikkenberg, Connor Ryan, Lars Gillingham and cox Samuel Williams took out the signature first-eight race, one of the two glamour events on Lake Barrington.
“I spoke to the (principal) at Launceston College – he was absolutely delighted what they achieved,” he said.
Launceston College added the much-hyped schoolboy four firsts’ win from Hutchins and Scotch Oakburn again.
“It’s been a long time since a non-private school has won that event,” Prescott added.
The Launceston College pairing of Ryan and Barrett won the schoolboys double scull against 26 entries.
They also teamed with Gillingham, Williams and Matthew Dikkenberg to snare the schoolboys coxed quad scull ahead of Launceston Grammar.
Prescott believed school rowing’s landscape is changing highlighted by Sheffield High’s double sculls victory.
“We’re seeing a lot of the non-traditional rowing schools win more events, which is just great,” he said.
But Prescott said Launceston Grammar still held court as a top three school on Sunday.
Grammar’s No.1 crew of Milly Wickham, Grace Elliott, Amelia Chilcott, Amelia Dowling and cox Ebony Colson collected the prized schoolgirls coxed quad scull.
St Patrick’s College also had a good race weekend when Oscar Birtwhistle and Laurie Dean won the under-14 double sculls from the school’s No.2 boat of Beau Malkin and Neil Douglas.
But also St Patrick’s rower Lili Wrigley continued her fine form in the schoolgirls single scull ahead of 30 others.
Scotch Oakburn’s raw crew provided the highlight during its under-16 eight victory.
George Taylor, Thomas Dowling, William Birchmore, Bradley Lawrence, Hamilton Cox, Samuel Williams, Oliver Cox, George McShane and cox Roland Lockwood fended off more seasoned Hutchins and Grammar rivals.
The Lake Barrington event saw 31 schools and 662 entrants in the state over 176 races during two days of competition.
“By anyone’s standard, it was a very big regatta,” Prescott said.