The Brock Badgers men's rowing team welcomes the challenge of trying to win a third straight championship this weekend (Oct. 27-28) at the OUA Championships on Henley Island (hosted by Ontario Tech).
To do so, they will rely on a bevy of veterans and upstart first years in what is anticipated to be a tight race for the OUA banner.
The Badgers will lean upon one of their leaders in Connor Dodds. The third-year Regina, SK product has won five gold medals this season, including two in Guelph (lightweight four and eight) and three at the home Brock Invitational (lightweight double, four and eight). Dodds brings a lot of experience to the team, winning a bronze at the U23 World Championships this past summer and claiming a gold medal in the lightweight men's eight at last year's championships.
First-year rower Charles-Etienne Tabet has made an instant impact for the Badgers this season. The Boucherville, QC native is undefeated in the domestic university circuit, picking up wins at the Guelph Invitational (lightweight single and double) and the Brock Invitational (lightweight single). What he may lack in OUA experience is balanced by his time in the club circuit. Tabet recently won a bronze medal in the lightweight single at the 2023 National Rowing Championships.
Two upper years the Badgers will look to this weekend for both leadership and performance on the water will be Elijah Lopez and Jared Boles. Lopez has been instrumental in pushing first-year rowers along and helping demonstrate what it means to be part of the Brock team. A consummate teammate who helps around the boathouse, Lopez is someone the coaching staff trusts to keep the program moving in the right direction.
Boles, co-president of the student executive, is in his own right an excellent leader. A master's student who is ready to leave his best foot forward in his final championships, Boles will be relied upon as a veteran member of the squad.
Lopez and Boles were part of the men's four along with Keithan Woodhouse, Josh Ruby and Daniel Phillips (coxswain) that won a silver at the Head of the Trent.
The two also earned a bronze in the men's open eight (Clara Sebastianelli (coxswain), Woodhouse, Ruby, Euan Coulson, Ian Doctor, Lucas Fogh and Flynn Kirwin) at the same regatta. Both Lopez and Boles won two silver medals in last year's championships in the men's four and eight, respectively.
The men's program had an excellent performance at the Brock Invitational and is hoping to carry that forward into the provincial championships. The team has demonstrated their depth with the results from this season.
"I'm really excited about the performance of the men's program this season," said head coach Mary Rao. "We can be really proud of the crews that have come together as they are a great combination of experienced and new athletes to the program, who all are working together to build a really exciting positive environment."
Action gets underway on Friday, October 27, with junior varsity and novice races taking place, which will then be followed up by the varsity races on Saturday, October 28. 14 OUA schools will be competing for the right to be crowned provincial champions.
Follow along with the results here.
