Rowers prepare for State Championships

Lachie was first to race in the third heat, where he needed to finish in the top two to advance to the A final. He led from start to finish, securing his spot in the final.

The final included six scullers from across the state, with Lachie delivering a strong performance to finish in fourth place, gaining valuable racing experience over the 2,000m course.

Eva competed in the second heat, where she needed a top-three finish to advance to the A final.

Excited to test her skills over the full course, Eva settled into a solid racing rhythm but finished in sixth place. However, gaining confidence from her performance in the heat, Eva improved in the B final, finishing in third place.

Day 2 of the races took place over a 1,000m course, with additional members of the club making the journey to Nagambie.

The club's initial races included the Female C grade double, featuring Madison Pasqualotto and Imogen Tomlinson in the first heat, and Imogen Wragge and Indi Hogan in the second heat. Both crews aimed for a top-three finish, with Madison and Imogen competing in the first heat.

They made a cautious start as the field divided into two groups. The Corowa crew worked hard and, after a tight battle, finished in fifth place. Imogen and Indi, racing together for the first time, gained valuable experience and finished stylishly in fifth place as well.

The club's first final was the Female Masters Quad Scull, with Julie Underwood, Susie Scott, Grietje Bruinsma-Wansink, Liz Sandow, and Coxswain Will Hogan competing against six other crews. The Corowa crew made a fast start and, after a closely fought race, secured a remarkable victory.

The club's premier male sculler, Bradley Pearsall, competed in the A grade single scull against a strong field. Brad embraced the challenge and finished in third place.

The Male B grade quad scull race featured Lachie Hogan, Brodie Julian, Simon McFarlane, Alex Schultz, and coxswain Harvey McFarlane. Competing in a full field, the Corowa crew maintained their excellent MRA form, leading from start to finish for a significant win. In the masters single sculls, Julie competed against scullers trialing for the Victorian team. Despite the fast pace, Julie finished in 4th place.

The club entered two C grade quad sculls teams: Elli Aho, Indi Hogan, Imogen Wragge, Bella Heagney, with coxswain Hunter Mills; and a second team comprising Imogen Tomlinson, Phoebe Packer, Maddison Pasqualotto, Sienna McFarlane, with coxswain Harvey McFarlane. The strategy was straightforward: follow Bella's experienced lead. Adhering to this plan, Hunter, navigating his first race at Nagambie, led his crew to a 2nd place finish, securing their spot in the final. Imogen Tomlinson's team, equally eager, raced strongly to also finish in 2nd place in their heat.

In the finals, Bella's crew quickly took the lead, maintaining it amidst a tightly contested race to secure 3rd place, while Imogen Tomlinson's team, gaining further race experience, finished in 6th place. The C grade quads then reorganized into a beginners quad scull team consisting of Imogen Wragge, Phoebe, Indi, Eli, with Dakota Good as coxswain. Facing off against the Yarra crew in the final, the Corowa crew, buoyed by their previous performances, led from the outset to clinch a notable victory.

A subsequent crew change saw Dakota Good assume the coxswain role for the mixed quad team, including Brad, Eva, Bella, and Lachie. The Corowa crew started quickly, engaging in a close contest with the Powerhouse crew in lane 1. With less than a length separating them at the finish, Corowa secured 2nd place.

The newly formed B grade double scull team featuring Alex and Brodie competed together for the first time. Their strategy was to start strong and maintain their position for as long as possible. Adhering to this plan, they faced a challenging race as the rest of the field overtook them, resulting in a 5th place finish.

In the female masters double sculls category, the club entered two boats in separate divisions. Grietje and Liz performed well, securing a 5th place finish. Julie and Susie also aimed for a strong performance, but a rigging issue impeded their progress, leading to another 5th place finish.

Brad and Lachie competed in the A grade double scull against a competitive field of seven crews, finishing in 5th place with a commendable effort. Bella and Eva faced a tough challenge in the B grade double, finishing in 4th place after giving their best.

The club had four entries in the C grade single scull, requiring a top 3 finish in two heats to advance to the final. In the first heat, Phoebe, competing in her first single race, finished in 5th place, while Sienna, building on her recent success in Sydney, took an early lead to win. In the second heat, Maddison and Liz both put forth strong efforts, with Liz finishing in 3rd place and Maddison finishing in 5th place. Sienna and Liz advanced to the 6-crew final, where Sienna, continuing her excellent form, narrowly finished in 2nd place behind a sculler from Geelong, with Liz finishing in 6th place.

The club's final race was the Mixed Masters Double Scull featuring Julie and Simon. Demonstrating their expertise, they took an early lead and maintained it against strong competition to secure a victory.

The club achieved notable results with four wins and several strong performances, setting a positive tone for the upcoming State Championships in two weeks. Special thanks were extended to all the parents who supported the regatta, with particular gratitude to Ray for his assistance with Rowing Victoria's umpires’ boat on Sunday.

Looking ahead, the club is preparing for the next competition in Geelong, where Sienna and Imogen will represent the club at the Junior Schoolgirl State Championships.