The host school had some impressive results at the Brentwood Regatta last weekend, but that wasn’t the focus for Laryssa Biesenthal, who was overseeing the event for the first time as Brentwood’s head of rowing.
“Moreso than the results, it’s how they went about doing it,” Biesenthal said “All of them were on task. You can’t control results, but you can control your personal output.”
The goal, she said, is for each rower to “execute their best race in their particular seat.”
A two-time Olympic medallist for Canada, Biesenthal didn’t row until university, so she is still learning about the sport at the high school level, but the experience last weekend was a positive one for her.
“It was an awesome opportunity for the kids. They learned lots and did a good job,” she said.
Brentwood was the top high school in the overall aggregate results, finishing fourth behind U.S. clubs Green Lake, Pocock and Mount Baker. Shawnigan Lake School finished ninth overall and Maple Bay Rowing Club was 21st.
Brentwood also placed fourth in the U19 boys and girls standings, and fifth in the U19 aggregate, also the top school team in those results.
Shawnigan was the top school team and third among all teams in the U17 overall standings, and placed first among all teams in the U17 girls standings. Brentwood placed 17th in the U17 aggregate, seventh in U17 boys, and 13th in U17 girls. Maple Bay placed ninth in the U17 girls standings.
Brentwood’s U19 boys had their best regatta since 2007, winning four gold medals, including the varsity eight. This was the first time since 2007 that Brentwood won the men’s eight, and the first time since 2008 that any school team has won that event. The crew of Axel Ewashko, Jacob Phillips, Benett Layton, Riley Toporowski, Logan Poseley, Liam Carson, Mill Bay’s own Oliver Wilson, Jamal Hasan, and cox Emma Holmes doubled up by also winning the school eight event.
Phillips, Layton, Toporowski, Poseley and Holmes also won the varsity coxed four, the first time Brentwood has won that event since 2010. Alex Bell, Jesse Harold, Yale Handler and cox Henry Whittle also won gold for Brentwood in the U19 men’s junior varsity coxed quad, the second year in a row the host school has won that race.
The school also collected silver in the U17 men’s coxed four, and bronze in both the U19 men’s novice coxed four and U19 women’s single (Allulah Beth Collins).
Both the senior men’s and women’s eights qualified to race in the Windermere Cup Regatta at the University of Washington this Saturday.
Shawnigan Lake School took gold in the U17 women’s lightweight coxed four and lightweight eight, silver in the U17 women’s coxed four and JV coxed quad, and bronze in the U17 men’s coxed quad.
Maple Bay Rowing Club placed first in the U17 women’s JV coxed quad.
The Shawnigan Lake Regatta is scheduled for May 11-13.