Nick Jones at Champion Lakes Regatta Centre
The Sky Blue has dominated the final day of racing at #ARC23, with NSW taking out six wins across 10 races of the Interstate Regatta at Champion Lakes in Perth.
Jackson Kench and Will O’Shannessy, who rowed in the victorious NSW King’s Cup crew, said it was a satisfying day for their state compatriots as they closed out the Australian Rowing Championships in style.
“It’s always a highlight to be in a field of the best athletes in the country,” O’Shannessy told Rowing Australia.
Tara Rigney capped off a remarkable regatta by achieving a clean sweep by in the Interstate Women’s Single Scull. The 24-year-old, who celebrated her birthday at Champion Lakes, had already claimed the Open Women’s Single Scull and Open Women’s Double Scull earlier in the week.
Cormac Kennedy-Leverett from Queensland emerged victorious in the President’s Cup for the Interstate Men’s Single Scull, beating Caleb Antill by 3.37 seconds. Despite the upcoming Paris Olympics, Kennedy-Leverett is not concerned about his selection for the Men’s Quad, stating that he simply wants to “see the Quad continue to succeed”.
The Penrith Cup showcased the best male lightweight rowers from each state, with Victoria taking home the win in a blazing time of 6:24.20s. Meanwhile, New South Wales proved too strong in the Women’s Lightweight Quadruple Scull, finishing ahead of the defending champions, Tasmania, with 11.45s and securing the Victoria Cup for 2023.
Sophie Jerapetritis (2-seat) has been a formidable force for NSW in the Victoria Cup, competing seven times before today. She added another victory to her impressive record, securing her second win in the event.
New South Wales also dominated the Youth Eight events, winning both the Men’s and Women’s races. The Men’s crew finished 2.28s ahead of Victoria, while the Women’s crew finished 1.52s in front of their southern rivals.
The final Interstate Medal Tally Standings are as follows (as per Rowing Australia Medals Table):
1st – New South Wales
2nd – Victoria
3rd – Queensland
4th – Australian Capital Territory
5th – South Australia
6th – Tasmania
7th – Western Australia
Melbourne Girls Grammar won the Sydney Cup in the Schoolgirl Coxed Eight final at #ARC23, only 2.34s ahead of St Catherine’s School (NSW). St Ignatius College (NSW) won the Barrington Cup for the first time, finishing 2.84s in front of Brisbane Boys College (QLD). Both schools had won their respective Head of the Rivers.
The winning club of #ARC23 was awarded to the Sydney University Boat Club, who took home a total of 25 medals, with 13.75 of those being gold.
The final Medal Standings are as follows:
1st – Sydney University Boat Club
2nd – Sydney Rowing Club
3rd – University of Technology Sydney Boat Club
4th – Melbourne University Boat Club
5th – University of Queensland Boat Club