Success for Hutchins at Schools Rowing Championships
The 2011 school rowing season ended on Sunday with the finals of the Schools Rowing Championships. Hutchins retained both the Junior and Overall Boys’ Composite Trophies by significant margins. This is a great testament to the depth in the Boat Club, and with points being awarded for the first four places in each final (5,3,2,1), those trophies really are about more than first place. Well done to every rower.
That said, there was success in many events. The Open rowers made it a clean sweep. They won the Open VIII, extending their lead over Scotch Oakburn from the Head of the River gap of 10.74 seconds to 13.05 seconds, to retain the John Campbell Shield. This was with three boys out of the boat at national selection trials at Penrith. The Opens also won the Schoolboys Fours (Firsts) to retain the Bourke Cup in a tight tussle with Scotch, the quad scull to retain the Jack Jeffries Shield, Toby Pitt and Wilson Mure winning the the HEC Shield for double sculls, and Toby and Wilson finishing 1–2 to win the TSRA Shield for single sculls.
The Under 16 boys had a much tougher assignment, with Friends taking the U16 VIII, Grammar the fours, St Virgils the quad sculls and St Patricks the single scull well done to Eddy Burrows-Cheng and Riley Grining to win the double scull. The Under 15s also had tough opposition, with St Virgils winning the quad scull by 0.56 sec, and the double scull by 0.74 sec. Well done to Ed Jeanneret in taking out the single scull by 4.82 sec. in a tough duel with St Virgils’ Jack Harrison.
The Junior squads proved that the future is strong, with the U14s finishing 1–2–3 in the quad sculls, 1–2–4 in the double sculls and Sam Fergusson, Henry Johnstone and James Schmidt finishing 1–2–3 in the single sculls. The Under 13s also had a great regatta, finishing first and second in the quad sculls, and with Nat Franklin and Connor Schmidt finishing 1–3 in the single sculls. Hutchins rowers also performed really well in a number of Petite Finals, giving opportunity for great competition for those who didn’t make the A-Finals.
Fantastic weather conditions and good water left all rowers finishing this season remembering Lake Barrington International Rowing Course at its best, rising to the challenge of good competition and delighting in the feel of tapping a boat along effectively – roll on the 2012 season!