Crossley sets golden standard

Fonthill high school rows to 10 gold medals and four silvers at South Niagara Invitational

E.L. Crossley Secondary School and high school athletes competing under the Niagara Falls Rowing Club banner were the big winners when the South Niagara Invitational was held for the first time in three years.

Crossley won 14 medals, including 10 gold and four silver, while Niagara Falls crews rowed to three golds, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2,000-metre sprint races on Welland International Flatwater Centre’s South Course in Welland.

The host South Niagara Rowing Club, with one gold and two silvers; Denis Morris, gold, silver; also recorded multiple top-three finishes as did Sir Winston Churchill, silver, three bronze; Ridley College, two silver, bronze; and Governor Simcoe, silver, two bronze.

Welland Centennial earned two bronze medals, one in its own right and the other as part of a composite crew with the South Niagara Rowing Club.

Grimsby and Saint Francis each earned a silver medal in the warmup to the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association (CSSRA) regatta taking place June 3-5 on Martindale Pond in St. Catharines.

Athletes from 43 high schools and rowing clubs from as far east as Kingston and as far west as London, Ont., took part in an event that was cancelled by COVID-19 the past two years.

Previously, the South Niagara Invitational was held over two days, but was limited to one day coming out of the pandemic.

Finals were raced in 26 events and there were 245 entries led by Crossley, with 18; Niagara Falls, 17; Argonaut Rowing Club and Havergal College, both from Toronto, 15 each.

Athletes from 14 high schools in the region participated, not including those competing for the Niagara

Falls Rowing Club: Beamsville, Churchill, Crossley, Eden, Grimsby, Holy Cross, Lakeshore Catholic, Notre Dame, Ridley College, Saint Francis, Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf, Simcoe and Welland Centennial.

Top three and placement of all crews from Niagara region at the South Niagara Invitational Saturday

in Welland:

Junior men’s coxed four 1. E.L. Crossley, 7:24.786; 2. Ridley College; 3. Trinity College School. Senior women’s coxed four 1. Argonaut, 7:16.416; 2. Crossley; 3. Niagara

Falls; 5. Notre Dame.

Novice women’s eight 1. Crossley,

7:15.831; 2. Branksome Hall; 3. Sir Winston Churchill.

Senior men’s single 1. St. Peter Catholic Secondary, 7:44.964; 2. Governor Simcoe; 3. Leander; 4. Ridley.

Novice men’s coxed four 1. Crossley, 7:25.283; 2. Ridley; 3. Banting; 5. Saint Francis; 5. Holy Cross.

Junior men’s double 1. Niagara Falls, 7:55.857; 2. Saint Francis; 3. Ridley; 4. Grimsby; 4. Denis Morris. Senior women’s double 1. South Niagara Rowing Club, 7:38.993; 2. Kingston Secondary School; 3. Westdale Rowing Community; 4. Denis Morris; 5. Welland Centennial.

Senior men’s four 1. Crossley, 6:59.532; 2. Argonaut; 3. Upper Canada; 5. Beamsville.

Junior women’s four 1. Havergal, 8:01.901; 2. Crossley; 3. Havergal. Junior men’s eight 1. Upper Canada, 6:46.073; 2. Crossley; 3. Churchill.

Senior women’s eight 1. Crossley; 7:28.804; 2. Argonaut; 3. Branksome Hall.

Senior men’s quad 1. Crossley, 6:45.488; 2. Grimsby; 3. Argonaut; 4. Notre Dame College School; 5. Denis Morris.

Junior women’s coxed quad 1. Niagara Falls, 8:33.111; 2. Orangeville District Secondary School; 3. South Niagara/ Welland Centennial composite entry.

Novice men’s eight 1. Crossley, 7:03.442; 2. Churchill; 3. Simcoe; 4. Churchill.

Junior men’s single 1. Kingston Secondary School, 8:55.752; 2. Niagara Falls; 3. St. Peter Catholic

Secondary School.

Senior women’s single 1. Argonaut, 8:25.076; 2. South Niagara; 3. Welland Centennial; 4. Churchill; 5. Eden; 6. Denis Morris.

Novice women’s coxed four 1. Niagara Falls, 8:24.008; 2. Argonaut; 3. Argonaut; 4. Churchill; 6. South Niagara.

Senior men’s double 1. Crossley, 7:33.467; 2. Leander; 3. Churchill; 6. Notre Dame College School.

Junior women’s double 1. Denis Morris, 8:54.455; 2. South Niagara; 3. Simcoe; 4. Niagara Falls.

Junior men’s coxed four 1. Upper Canada, 7:59.393; 2. Crossley. Senior women’s coxed four 1. Crossley, 8:14.999; 2. Branksome Hall; 3. Branksome Hall.

Senior men’s eight 1. Crossley, 6:35.867; 2. Upper Canada; 3. Argonaut.

Junior women’s eight 1. Branksome Hall, 8:00.102; 2. Branksome Hall; 3. Niagara Falls; 4. Crossley. Mixed quad 1. Kingston Rowing Club, 7:27.678; 2. Denis Morris; 3. Niagara Falls; 4. Notre Dame College School.

Mixed double 1. Argonaut, 8:11.432; 2. Westdale Community Rowing; 3. Leahurst; 5. Beamsville.

BERND FRANKE IS A ST. CATHARINESBASED JOURNALIST AND THE REGIONAL SPORTS EDITOR.

REACH HIM VIA EMAIL: BERND.FRANKE @NIAGARADAILIES.COM