PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks rowing team hit the calm waters of the Otonabee River on Saturday, October 4 for the 54th annual Head of the Trent Regatta.
This year's event featured 805 entries and more than 1,400 athletes from 66 clubs and universities, competing in a packed two-day schedule.
Ontario Tech's top performer was veteran rower Kierstyn Hawke, who competed in back-to-back races Saturday. She placed third in the lightweight single (20:44.39) before finishing sixth in the open single (20:22.93). On Sunday morning, Hawke represented the Durham Rowing Club in the club women's single, earning her first-ever win at this regatta.
The women's varsity 4+ crew of Emily Phillips, Lexi Buis, Lorena Jones, Emma Quinn and coxswain Farida Shafey completed the 5 km course in 20:15.28 for a solid top-10 finish. The lightweight women's double of Anjali Jagannathan and Mariam Anthony also earned a top-10 result, crossing the line in 22:02.85.
On the men's side, the JV men's 4+ of Gordon Adams, Barnabas Agbekorode, Braydon Van Eck, Jack Roughley and coxswain Kate Aube finished 10th with a time of 19:26.93. Zach Dixon debuted in the lightweight men's single, finishing 14th (21:06.04), and later paired with Alex Pardy in the men's double to place 12th (19:15.01). The second men's double of Isaac Phin-Donaldson and Liam Keenan recorded a time of 20:29.99, finishing 15th.
Both novice men's and women's 8+ crews made their racing debuts at the event. The men's crew of Bernie Lu, Jesus Martinez, Sergei Respublicanschii, Connor Hume, Lucca Minato, Brandon Garcia, Michael Ogunmola and Clayton More placed seventh out of 15 boats. The women's novice 8+ of Michelle Visconti, Ashleigh McCardle, Vanessa Hunter, Jake Hernandez, Alex Loutshou, Oneybe Adoga, Melissa Richards and Luciana Masteoianni-Mazzotta had a strong showing with a time of 17:14.45.
Ontario Tech's novice coaches Nic Biscaro, Adam Stone and Andrew Dallison, joined by Calvin Varga and coxswain Sophia Tucker, took to the water in the alumni 4+, finishing in 21:04.45 – proving they've still got it.
The Ridgebacks return to competition Saturday, October 11, at the Brock Invitational.
