Brock's men's and women's rowing teams will both be represented at the upcoming International University Sports Federation (FISU) World Rowing Championships.
Connor Dodds and Charles-Etienne Tabet from the men's team, Isabella Durcak and Zoe Durcak from the women's team and Brock alumna Michael Ciepiela were all selected to Team Canada in an announcement made on Monday, June 10.
"We are incredibly proud of them," said Brock head coach Katie Bruggeling. "Their dedication and hard work has truly paid off, and it's so exciting to see so many Badgers representing Canada. The whole team can't wait to watch them compete and cheer them on."
The three-day event will take place from Thursday, July 4 to Saturday, July 6 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, which will include top student-athletes from across the world.
Canada will have its largest representation ever in the event, with 36 athletes being selected to compete in various events.
Ciepiela will be participating in the men's single in the Netherlands and last rowed for the Badgers in 2022. The Brampton product wore the maple leaf at both the 2022 and 2023 World Rowing Under-23 World Championships in the men's double.
Most recently, Ciepiela took part in the 2023 Pan American Games in the same event, where he partnered with two-time Brock Male Athlete of the Year Stephen Harris.
Dodds, a 2023-24 Brock Male Athlete of the Year Finalist, will represent Canada for the second time.
He last rowed for the national team at the 2023 U23 Rowing World Championships in the lightweight men's quad where he won a bronze medal alongside University of Victoria's Giancarlo DiPompeo, University of British Columbia's Emerson Crick and Lucas Celia of Queen's University.
Rounding out the participation on the men's side will be Tabet. The 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men's Rower of the Year will compete for the national team for the first time in his career.
At the 2023 National Rowing Championships, the Boucherville, QC native took home a bronze medal in the lightweight men's single.
In 2021, the Durcak sisters were named to the CanAmMex (CAM) squad, but no formal event took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They will now have the chance to represent Canada at the FISU World Rowing Championships after both being named to the team. The twins from Stoney Creek, Ont will take part in the lightweight women's double; an event they went undefeated in during the domestic university season.
Dodds, Tabet and the Durcaks will conduct their training locally at Brock, while Ciepiela will be at the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre in Welland, with overseas support from Brock head coach Katie Bruggeling and associate coach Mary Rao.
Keep an eye out on the team's results through the Rowing Canada website and their social media channels.
FISU TEAM ROSTER
Women's Sculling
Training at McGill University and Montreal Rowing Club.
Women's Single (W1x)
- Catherine Chénier-Gagnon / McGill University
Women's Double (W2x)
- Natalya Ariano / University of Victoria
- Julia Schuurmans / Queen's University
Lightweight Men and Women
Training at Brock University.
Lightweight Men's Single (LM1x)
- Giancarlo DiPompeo / University of Victoria
Lightweight Men's Double (LM2x)
Lightweight Women's Single (LW1x)
- Sophie Inkpen / Dalhousie University
Lightweight Women's Double (LW2x)
Women's Sweep
Training at the University of Victoria with support from Craig Pond and UBC. Jane Gumley will be travelling with the team.
Women's Eight (W8+)
- Mikaela Holthuis / University of Victoria
- Danica Ariano / University of Victoria
- Jacqueline Blunt / University of British Columbia
- Gabrielle Kieser / University of Victoria
- Ceilidh MacDonald / Queen's University
- Rachel Weber / Western University
- Gabriella Worobec / University of British Columbia
- Gabrielle Yarema / Western University
- Gabriella Diaz (Coxswain) / University of British Columbia
Women's Pair (W2-)
- Eliza Dawson / Washington State University
- Sally Jones / University of British Columbia
Men's Eight and Double
Training with the University of Victoria under the direction of Aalbert Van Schothorst. Mike Pearce will be travelling with the team.
Men's Eight (M8+)
- Bob Bryden / Queen's University
- Andrew Hubbard / Queen's University / University of Victoria
- Victor Lefebvre / University of Victoria
- Sebastien Psarianos / University of Toronto
- Sam Ree / University of Victoria
- Quinn Storey / University of Victoria
- Connor Attridge / University of Victoria
- Jesse Harold / University of Victoria
- Sascha Jansen-Rudan (Coxswain) / University of Victoria
Men's Double (M2x)
- Michael Caryk / University of Victoria
- Kai Bartel / University of Victoria
Men's Four
Training at UBC with Mike Pearce.
Men's Four (M4-)
- Julian Black / University of British Columbia
- Aidan Della Siega / University of British Columbia
- Axel Ewashko / University of British Columbia
- Sam Stewart / Western University
Men's Single
Training at the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre, with overseas support from Katie Bruggeling and Mary Rao.
Men's Single (M1x)
- Michael Ciepiela / Brock University
