2024 South Queensland Rowing Championships

On the weekend of July 13 and 14, 28 rowers from Somerset headed to Waralyong Dam to compete in the 2024 South Queensland Championships. 

The event presented many challenges for our rowers, with Saturday’s races delayed and postponed due to strong winds and choppy waters. Despite these less-than-ideal conditions, our athletes persevered.

The Girls Year 9 Quad, along with Ethan Hu, Misha Zubko, and Hayden Li in their single sculls, bravely battled the waves on Saturday and secured spots in the finals. The Girls Year 9 Quad finished ninth in their final, with Zoe Benson stepping up from Coxswain to rower for the day. The boys’ race was postponed until Sunday.

Sunday brought improved conditions, and some of our rowers had an early start, leaving the Gold Coast around 4.00am for the South Coast trials. Congratulations to Maddi McLaughlin, who was selected as a reserve for the South Coast team.

Ethan Hu made the most of the calmer waters, winning a bronze medal in the Year 8 Boys' Single Scull. He also led the crew of Charlie Cardone, Hayden Li, Jacob Anderson, and Lila Curry (Coxswain) to a bronze medal in the Year 8 Boys' Quad Scull final.

Maddi McLaughlin gave a strong performance in her single scull final, finishing seventh against tough competition.

A huge shoutout to our Year 7 Girls—Lila Curry, Ava Pearse, Alba Ward, and Estelle Kirby—who all qualified for the Year 8 girls' double scull final. This is a fantastic achievement and shows great promise for next year when they will be competing against athletes their own age.

To round out two days of intense racing, the Year 9 Boys' Quad, consisting of Hugo Drerksema, Ethan Hu, Roger Hua, Rafael Brand, and Josh Rosentreter (Coxswain), secured a third-place finish.

Thank you to all the coaches and parents who supported our athletes this weekend! Congratulations to all who competed and made us proud.