CGS triumph at Irish Schools Rowing Championship.
Last weekend 18 rowers made the 600 mile round trip to compete in Limerick at the Irish Schools Rowing Championship where over seventy schools from
all over Ireland North and South were represented. A league table was run throughout the event to determine the most successful school and when all
racing had finished and the results compiled CGS came in at a very credible joint 13 position making us the most successful Ulster school present.
Due to the distance to Limerick our party, supported by many parents travelled on Saturday staying in very pleasant chalet cottages in the town of
Nenagh. We all enjoyed an evening meal together and our athletes got to socialise with their counterparts from Portadown Rowing Club who were staying
at the same location.
Morning came all too early, with our Club Captain competing in the MU23 1x event at 8am. This was a series of timed races against 31 other competitors
to find the fastest to make up the final. Our seventeen year old Captain rowed an exceptional race to place 4th out of 32 boats and, in the final secured
a fantastic fourth position. I just knew it was going to be a good day. Next up was our WJ15 8 where among the crew were 3 girls a year young for this
event, but as the saying goes “if you’re good enough you are old enough”, and so it proved as the eight powered to a decisive victory in the final
making them WJ15 8 Irish Schools Champions 2017. The sun had started to shine in Limerick!
The phrase “everyone’s a winner” is, in my opinion, nonsense! Next up was the WJ16 4x+, nothing less than first place would allow them to progress
to the final. All good off the start, leading by a comfortable margin when they suffered a technical issue, back to fourth place in the blink of an
eye, however, the fighting spirit took over getting them back to third and then second, just as Walt Disney was going to buy the film rights to the
race the finish line appeared all to quickly and the girls just couldn’t manage to overhaul the leading crew, such is sport!
Our elated Club Captain joined forces with a young 15 year old protégé to compete in the MU23 2x, again a time trial situation with them putting in
a creditable row but, unfortunately not making the final on this occasion.
Two medal winners from the girl’s eight joined forces to compete in the WJ14 2x and in the final, leading with a car length to the line with everyone,
including the race commentator, convinced they had the race in the bag, caught a show stopping crab with the oar striking the unfortunate athlete on
the shoulder. A grateful second placed boat took the victory and hopefully our young rower makes a full recovery.
Single scull racers, as explained by Olympian Alan Campbell, are the gladiators of our sport, dealing with all the emotions of victory and defeat
without the comfort blanket of a crew to get you through the darker times. I say this as huge credit goes to our two J16 single scullers girl and boy
both competing in their first ever race. They did their school proud with their effort and determination. In the WJ15 single scull it was a clash of
real talent with our athlete locked in a battle with one other girl throughout the 1500 meter race. Both girls were head and shoulders faster than
the rest of the field. In a tussle that went down to the wire our athlete lost out by a couple of feet.
Resilience is a quality rowing fosters and our defeated lady sculler demonstrated it in spades when she partnered a medal winner from the eight to
win the WJ15 2x event. This talented partner went onto win the WJ14 1x event giving her an individual haul of three Irish Schools Championship medals.
The final events of the day were the WJ16 8 final where we gained a very credible third place and the WJ15 4x+ (featuring one in her first competitive
race), despite an amazing effort we finished just out of medal position. What a great day! The first ever medals won by the school at the Irish Schools
Rowing Championship.
Particular thanks goes to the parents and female teacher who made participation in this event possible.
Mr Johnston
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