John XXIII College Newsletter

John XXIII College Rowing Club 

All Schools State Championship 

Last weekend the Years 9-12 rowers competed in the Rowing WA All Schools State Championship.  After winning overall last year, our rowers were keen to defend their title in what had been a season of overcoming challenges. 

 

The Championship regatta was no different with all rowers facing 40 km/h head winds in their races throughout the day.  Every single rower showed a high level of perseverance and determination to the final stroke and achieved 2nd place overall in the State Championship.

 

Congratulations to everyone and special mentions to crews that got into finals.

  • 22 events - 18 crews made it into 16 finals with a
    • 1st
    • 3 x 2nd
    • 3 x 3rd 
       
  • All 8+ came 1st or 2nd 
    • Y10G came 1st
    • Y10B came 2nd
    • Senior BOYS came 2nd
    • This is promising for next year’s seniors
       
  • Other placings
    • Y9B4X - 3RD
    • Y10B4X - 3RD
    • Y10B2X - 3RD
       
  • Special performances
    • Zoe Broderick – 2nd in single sculls
      rowed 30sec faster than in her heat race, after a long day of rowing in tough conditions. Against 2 WAIS trained state rowers.
    • Senior boys 8+ - 2nd 
      the best row this season, exciting race, narrowly losing to a crew made from Guildford’s PSA Head of the River 1st VIII!
    • Y10G 8+ - 1st  won by a clear 20 sec
      Won every race this season… on track to win 2021 IGSSA Head of the River.
    • Some Year 12 boys returned to compete for the championship to give us another senior VIII which meant all seniors got to race together at their last regatta.

Rowing Presentation Dinner

Presentations at the Dinner were most notably for our Year 12’s and ‘The Lifers’.

  • Our Captains Received their Badges
  • Each rower received a rowing pin for 2020
  • 17 Year 12’s - Largest number of Year 12 rowers in the Club's history
  • 9 Year 12 ‘Lifers’ – Largest number in Club's history

Our Year 12 Rowers

This season we had 17 Year 12 rowers, the most Year 12’s to ever to compete in a summer and winter season for the John XXIII College Rowing Club since it began, with an unprecedented NINE Year 12’s rowing and competing in every season since they could start rowing…we have dubbed them ‘THE LIFERS’.

 

The remaining Year 12’s only missing a winter season or beginning a year or two later.  John XXIII College has the longest boys rowing program of any school in WA with the PSA Summer and All Schools Winter Seasons. The level of commitment of the ‘BOY LIFER’S’ to row 10 competitive seasons and be on the water at 5:30am, three mornings a week throughout summer and winter for almost 10 months of every year for the last 5.5 years is admirable.  

 

Each year the girls row two seasons almost simultaneously with IGSSA and All Schools Competitions crossing over mid- season.  With the cancellation of the 2020 IGSSA season our ‘GIRL LIFER’S’ have trained and rowed together in 9 competitive seasons over the last 5 years.  

 

This is the last and the largest group of rowers ever to be able to achieve ‘LIFER’ for the John XXIII College Rowing Club.  With most of our Year 12’s also taking part in the schools’ music and art programs including the musicals, training and competing in New Zealand on the first ever Rowing Tour, language tours, going on Pilgrimage, taking on leadership roles within the school and earning many academic achievements, it really shows how the sport of rowing can positively shape and enrich the lives of our young people. 

 

House Regatta

On Saturday August 29, our rowing community will come together to culminate the Year 8 rowing season at the annual House regatta.

 

Over the course of the morning every Year 8 rower will have the opportunity to row with the experienced Year 9-12 from their house.  At the conclusion of the racing parents and siblings are invited to try rowing.

 

Rowers are invited to come down to the John XXIII College rowing shed at 8:30am and the regatta will conclude at 11am.  Could all rowers please arrive in their House shirts.

Year 8 Training

With our Catholic Holiday this coming Monday 24 August, the Year 8 boy and girl rowers will combine for a final rowing training session on Wednesday 26 August in preparation for the House Regatta.