Trent University rowers continue to make their mark in national and international competition as five rowers and Trent’s Row to Podium Talent Development Centre coach were recently selected to represent Canada on three national teams, the under-23 (U23) national team, the world junior team, and national team for the 2015 International University Sports Federation (FISU) Games.

“Trent University is extremely proud of our long-standing tradition in the sport of rowing,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor. “Year after year, our rowers, past and present, represent us well at all levels of competition. Congratulations to our athletes named to national teams this year. We look forward to watching you compete for Canada this summer.”

Representing Canada and Trent amongst the country’s next group of Olympic rowers with the U23 national team at the 2015 World Rowing U23 Championships taking place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from July 22-26 are: Alex Watson, a fourth-year Business Administration student, who will compete with the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls; Graham Peeters, a Biology and Chemistry major, who will compete with the men’s quadruple sculls; and Sarah Rothwell, a recent graduate of the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, who will compete with the women’s quadruple sculls. This is the second year Ms. Rothwell has been named to the U23 team, an impressive accomplishment, especially considering she had never picked up an oar until she came to Trent. Following her first fall season, she was invited to join the prestigious Row to Podium program at Trent, which identifies and trains future Olympic rowers.

In addition to the U23 team, Trent will also have representation at the junior level as Trevor Jones, an incoming first-year student from Lakefield, Ontario, has been selected to compete with the men’s quadruple sculls at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Rio de Janeiro August 5 -9, 2015. Mr. Jones was recently admitted to the prestigious Row to Podium program under Carol Love, former Olympian and renowned coach, who will also be coaching Mr. Jones and his team at the national competition. As part of the national team, one of the largest that Canada has assembled in recent years,  Mr. Jones and Ms. Love will have the opportunity to give the Olympic rowing course in Brazil a test run one year before the Olympic regatta is scheduled to take place in 2016.

Finally, fourth-year Computing Information Systems student Josh King will represent Trent among Canadian University’s most talented rowers as part of the lightweight men’s four at the FISU Games in Gwangju, South Korea, July 3 to 14, 2015. The 2015 Universiade is a multisport event in which rowing has been a part since 1984. This year the regatta will take place on Chungju Tangeum Lake, site of the 2013 World Rowing Championships.

“Combining undergraduate demands while training for high performance sport is not an easy task, but these athletes have benefited from all that Trent has to offer. The proximity of the river and the training facilities and support of the Athletics Centre is top class,” says Carol Love. “These individuals have also excelled in their studies. It continues to keep me engaged in the sport when I have the opportunity to work with young people that are striving for excellence on and off the water.”

Posted on Wednesday, June 24, 2015.