Dartmouth Free Press, August 21, 1874

Sweeps And Sculls

By Moe Cody

A resounding success! That's the only way to describe the 3rd Annual Nova Scotia Sprints Rowing Championships held on Lake Banook last Saturday. Mic Mac AAC's rowing division, for the third straight year, with a point total of 89, won the aggregate championship and the CFDR Rosebowl trophy. Genial president of CFDR, Arnie Patterson, presented the trophy to Mic Mac coach Buddy Myra commenting that "what had originally been planned as a dual club regatta had grown to a Nova Scotia classic attracting clubs from many points in Canada."

At the end of the competition the standings were as follows: Mic Mac AAC 89; North Star Rowing Club 83; Kennebecasis Rowing Club of Rothesay, N.B. 65; Leander Boat Club of Hamilton, Ont. 47 1/ 2; Brock University Rowing Association of St. Catharines, Ont. 40; Ottawa Rowing Club of Ottawa, Ont 28 1/2; and Dalhousie University Rowing Association 20.

ROSS TURNS THE TIDE

Probably the most impressive win of the day was the championship singles race which saw Mic Mac's John Ross pull out a narrow win by less than a deck length over Rick Crawley of Ottawa to retain the singles crown for the third successive year. Due to a number of commitments John had not been training most of the summer, and to be quite frank, this observer felt that the big sculler from Ottawa would run away with the race. Ross fooled me and many others with one of the finest exhibitions of stylish, cool-headed sculling and sheer guts that I have ever witnessed on a rowing course. On top of that, his win was the margin by which Mic Mac pulled ahead of North Star to win the championship. John certainly proved that rowing is a sport "that's built for a man".

VISITING OARSMEN

The fact that the Ontario Rowing Association saw fit to send a contingent from Leander Boat Club, Ottawa Rowing Club and Brock University to the Sprints really encouraged regatta officials. Led by Leander coach Ross Morrell, these young men not only acquitted themselves as fine competitors, winning several tough races, but they were also fine gentlemen and sportsmen who reflect pride on their individual clubs. The two Ottawa scullers, Crawley and Jean Rouleau won the open double while Crawley took the singles dash and Rouleau won the lightweight single. Leander's heavy four took the four-with and the four-without-coxswain in the open class and teamed with the Brock University lightweight four to capture the open championship eight and the dash for eights. Brock also teamed with Kennebecassis to run away with the lightweight eight. A fine showing by Rouleau and Ed MacKreel, bowman in the Brock four, resulted in a second place finish in the lightweight double. Kennebecasis provided the spectators with many a thrilling finish too. Led by coach Tim Frink, the club won the dash for fours-without-cox and the lightweight eight, combined with the Brock crew, and finished a close second in practically every race they entered. Their appearance at our regatta is a guarantee of fine races and we hope they will return next year with an eight-oared-shell. Congratulations to Dr. C. H. Bonnycastle the zealous organizer at Kennebecassis.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Kevin Topple proved to be the Mic Mac "Iron Man" this year due to the fact that he rowed in 11 events, winning three and showing well in every other. Kevin is not only a fine sweep oarsman, but a skilled sculler, teaming with Gary Garland to win the lightweight double convincingly. Gary had just returned from the Nationals in Burnaby after a successful season with Brockville Rowing Club and another gold medal at Henley.

North Star's ladies proved themselves in the Sprints with wins over the Dalhousie University crew in both the four-with and the four-without-coxswain. They were narrow margins however, and the Dal girls should take heart by this and hope for a re-match soon. The Ontario coxswain was nine-year-old Tony Biernacki, Jr., son of a past Canadian champion sculler who is now rowing coach at Brock U. Personal congratulations to coach Owen Sawler and Bud Myra for putting up such a thrilling fight in the Sprints and as regatta coordinator, I would like to thank volunteer regatta officials for the great job they did. Among these were Judges Ron Balcom, Elizabeth Harding, John Gully, Spike Clattenburg, Don Ferris; Statisticians Mrs. Percy Sawler and Mrs. Dave Thomas; Referee and Clerks of Course Bob Sawler, Gerry Lethbridge and Dave Thomas and their crews; and special thanks to Percy Sawler, Tom St. Onge, Bob Butt, Dr. Brent Rushall and all the others-who selflessly gave of their time and energies for the regatta's success. Let's hope next year it will be even bigger and better!