Gee-Gees on podium in three events at OUA Championship, claim gold in women’s 4+

The Gee-Gees rowing team had an excellent return performance at the 2021 OUA Championships, held at Welland International Flatwater Course on Saturday, Oct. 31, with the Garnet and Grey stepping onto the podium in three events.

The results were highlighted by a gold medal win by the women's four crew of Rhiannon Crichton, Alyssa Pastic, Vienna Scholten, and Fiona McGougall, with Mia Lyons as cox. The crew won its heat and the final, edging the crew from Queen's by a one and a half second margin in the final with a gold-medal-winning time of 7:52.77. The gold medal marked the fourth consecutive regatta win for the women's four. 

The Gee-Gees women's eight claimed silver in a good race with the gold medallists from Western and the bronze medallists from Toronto. Laura Guy, Kerin Hudson, Gab Zitikyte, and Laura Vink joined the four members of the 4+ crew and Lyons as cox in the silver-medal effort. The medal is the first for the Garnet and Grey in eights since the 1990s and closed out a dominant season by the crew which featured three regatta wins. 

The third podium finish for Ottawa came courtesy of Guy and Hudson in the women's pair event.

On the men's side, notable results included Owen Falkenham's fourth place finish in the men's lightweight single, and the crew of  Philip Brule, Nicholas Maciejewsi, Luther Edson, and Alex McDermott, coxed by Pascal Morimanno, placing fourth in the varsity fours. 

Overall, the Gee-Gees had entries in 14 events and reached the A Final in nine.

Gee-Gees Podium Events :

Women's Varsity 4+

1. Ottawa, 7:52.78

2. Queen's, 7:54.24

3. Western, 7:59.71

Women's Varsity 8+

1. Western, 7:05.05

2. Ottawa, 7:10.29

3. Toronto, 7:13.95

Women's Varsity 2-

1. Toronto, 7:10.99

2. Western, 7:15.55

3. Ottawa, 7:20.61

Complete Gee-Gees results:

Women's Lightweight Varsity 1+ - Jasmine Foreman

3^rd in heat two (9:15.34), qualified for B Final

2^nd in B Final (9:17.65)

Men's Lightweight Varsity 1+ - Owen Falkenham

2^nd in heat one (8:10.04), qualified for A Final

4^th in A Final (8:22.97)

Women's Varsity 2x – Laura Vink, Katie Jany

4^th in heat one (8:47.15), qualified for B Final

2^nd in B Final (8:52.55)

Men's Varsity 2x – Philip Brule, Adam McDermott

2^nd in heat two (7:36.77), qualified for A Final

5^th in A Final (7:33.59)

Women's Lightweight Varsity 8+ - Victoria Valazquez, Jasmine Foreman, Emma Barlett, Sydney Persaud, Olena Kotseivba, Julia Melisek, Kennedy Burrows, Karolyn McGovern, Mary-Beth Foley (cox)

4^th in A Final (8:12.02)

Men's Varsity 4+ - Philip Brule, Nicholas Maciejewsi, Luther Edson, Alex McDermott, Pascal Morimanno (cox)

3^rd in heat two (7:28.52), qualified for A Final

4^th in A Final (7:14.19)

Women's Lightweight Varsity 2x – Karolyn McGovern, Kennedy Burrows

3^rd in heat two (8:24.17), qualified for A Final

6^th in A Final (8:36.35)

Men's Lightweight Varsity 2x – Ronan Sampson, Owen Falkenham

5^th in heat one (7:58.43), qualified for B Final

2^nd in B Final (7:53.83)

Women's Varsity 1x – Gab Zitikyte

4^th in heat two (9:24.82), qualified for B Final

4^th in B Final (9:51.51)

Men's Varsity 1x – Luther Edson

4^th in heat one (8:02.89), qualified for B Final

1^st in B Final (8:18.61)

Women's Lightweight Varsity 4+ - Victoria Velazquez, Olena Kotseivba, Emma Barlett, Julia Melisek, Mary-Beth Foley (cox)

5^th in A Final (9:16.72)