The Telegraph Journal and Evening Times Globe Saint John, N.B., Tuesday, August 20, 1985

by Francis Campbell

If rowing had been scheduled for the first week of the Canada Games competition, the host province would probably not have gone so long without a medal.

An estimated 600 spectators watched New Brunswick rowers cross the finish line first in four heats to open first-day competition at the Renforth rowing and canoe club on the Kennebecasis River Monday.

Renforth rowers Chris Flood and Wayne MacFarlane, recent gold medal winners in men's straight pairs at the Canadian rowing championships, finished their heat in a time of 5:38.63 seconds.

John and Peter Oxley of Renforth and brothers Ron and Dave Dickison from Fredericton, strong medal candidates in the men's quads, finished first in their heat with a time of 4:55.51 seconds.

However, it was the women's four with cox that was possibly the least predictable of New Brunswick heat winners. The Fredericton five of Angela Buck, Leslie Fellows, Natalie Folster, Paula Kendall and Traci Morrisey won their heat in a time of 5:55.61 seconds.

Buck said the team expected to win the heat and Kendall added that they expected to win every heat.

"We are going for a medal, but B.C. and Ontario will be tough," Kendall said.

The team, who refer to themselves as the Monster Crew, giving a Monster Cheer after each win, expect to do will in fours, eights and pairs.

But the Monster Crew and all other New Brunswick rowers will have their hands full against British Columbia. The western rowers took 11 of the 13 heats they were involved in Monday.

The B.C. men finished first in single sculls, quads, fours with cox, double sculls, and eights with cox. The B.C. women won heats in fours with cox, single sculls, pairs, double sculls, quads, and eight with cox.

Ontario rowers won six heats, including the men's pair, men's straight four, men's quads, men's four with cox, women's double sculls and women's eight with cox.

The remaining five heats were won by Alberta and Quebec. Alberta finished atop the men's single sculls, men's eight with cox and the women's pair. Men's double sculls and women's single sculls heats were taken by Quebec.

New Brunswick rowers also finished second in heats involving men's four with cox, men's double skulls, men's eight with cox, and women's eight with cox. The winners of each heat go directly to the finals on Thursday and Friday while all other heat finishers enter Tuesday's repechage round.

Action today is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m.