2023 National Rowing Championships: A Triumph of Skill and Determination

The 2023 National Rowing Championships (NRCs) concluded with a crescendo of excitement and memorable performances, leaving participants and spectators alike in awe of the remarkable display of skill, dedication, and sportsmanship.

Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) partnered with Maple Bay Rowing Club, with support from Rowing BC, for the second consecutive year to welcome Canada’s rowing community to the traditional ancestral territories of Coast Salish First Nations at the picturesque Quamichan Lake in North Cowichan, British Columbia, the home of the National Training Centre.

This year’s championships brought together over 250 of the nation’s best rowers representing seven provincial associations and 30 rowing clubs from across the country for a thrilling competition that showcased the pinnacle of rowing talent. Crowning national champions in categories across Senior, Para, Under 23 and Under 19 rowers, providing opportunities for rowers of all ages and experience to compete on the national stage and display their prowess on the water, delivering some truly remarkable performances.

The 2023 NRCs crowned 21 national champions, which saw rowing powerhouse Rowing BC be crowned the Provincial Grand Champions, with Row Ontario rowers earning the Provincial Efficiency award as a result of their efforts across the championships.

Rowing BC’s Caileigh Filmer capped a triumphant return to rowing pairing with Piper Battersby to win gold in the Women’s Pair event. Filmer, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in the Women’s Pair, was thrilled with the win as a testament to the hard work she and Battersby had put in leading up to the NRCs and praised her teammate’s race call in the final.

“We were together for two weeks coming into this and we were getting faster every day and I think Piper called a great race,” Filmer said. “We knew with the wind, that we had to be very technical. The wind was pretty similar throughout the championships, so we were able to learn and make new plans for each race. We knew that we wanted to make sure that we had some gas going into the second half and Piper kept us both very calm and then we were able to go when we had planned, so I’m really thrilled for us.”

One of the standout moments came from the women’s single scull final, where Row Ontario’s Carling Zeeman used a superb final 500m push to overcome fellow Ontario native Jenny Casson and claim the gold medal and her 10th national title. Casson, usually a lightweight rower was competing in the open sculls category, making her silver medal performance all the more impressive.

In the Men’s Single Scull final, Rowing BC’s Liam Smit capped his season by defending his national championship with a controlled race in the final ahead of Canadian National Team teammate Steven Rosts. While in the Men’s Pair, Rowing BC’s Joel Cullen and Jack Walkey continued to showcase their abilities powering to a four-second victory to claim the gold medal.

The A Finals kicked off with the multi-class Para A Final, which witnessed five classes of competitors claiming the National Championship title. In the Women’s PR1 Singles Sculls, Rowing BC’s Christa Akins powered to the gold medal, and a great reward for her hard work after overcoming a recent rib injury to crown her season.

The 2023 NRCs also shone a spotlight on the promising young talents emerging in the sport, with both Under 19 and Under 23 rowers displaying incredible potential, hinting at a bright future for rowing in the country.

Beyond the medals and records, the 2023 National Rowing Championships highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and unity that defines rowing. Rowers from different backgrounds and provinces came together to celebrate their shared passion for the sport and solidify the nation’s rowing community that is truly united by water.

Rowing Canada Aviron congratulates all the Provinces, the rowers, coaches, and support staff for their performances across the regatta, thanks the umpires and volunteers who without their invaluable contributions to the regatta it could not be possible and thanks Susan Macdonald, president of the organizing committee and the Maple Bay Rowing Club for hosting the 2023 National Rowing Championships.

As the sun sets on the 2023 National Rowing Championships, the anticipation for what lies ahead in the world of rowing grows even stronger. The impressive performances and camaraderie on display throughout the championship leave no doubt that rowing in Canada is on a promising trajectory.

2023 National Rowing Champions

Men’s Single Sculls

Liam Smit – Rowing BC – Gold Medal – Derek Porter Trophy Winner

Steven Rosts – Row Ontario – Silver Medal

Michael Ciepiela – Row Ontario – Bronze Medal

Women’s Single Sculls

Carling Zeeman – Row Ontario – Gold Medal – Silken Laumann Plate Winner

Jenny Casson – Row Ontario – Silver Medal

Shannon Kennedy – Row Ontario – Bronze Medal

Men’s Lightweight Single Sculls

Stephen Harris – Row Ontario – Gold Medal – Brian Thorne Trophy Winner

Giancarlo DiPompeo – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Charles-Etienne Tabet – Aviron Québec – Bronze Medal

Women’s Lightweight Single Sculls

Jill Moffatt – Row Ontario – Gold Medal – Wendy Wiebe Trophy Winner

Karissa Riley – Alberta Rowing Association – Silver Medal

Sai Sai Faubert – Rowing BC – Bronze Medal

Men’s PR1 Single Sculls

Jacob Wassermann – Saskatchewan Rowing Association – Gold Medal

Women’s PR1 Single Sculls

Christa Akins – Rowing BC – Gold Medal – Lagoa Rio Trophy Winner

Men’s PR2 Single Sculls

Patrick Levis – Rowing BC – Gold Medal

Women’s PR2 Single Sculls

Chelsea Donelon – Calgary Rowing Club – Gold Medal

Men’s Pair

Jack Walkey & Joel Cullen – Rowing BC – Gold Medal – George Hungerford & Roger Jackson Trophy Winner

Jakub Buczek & Cody Bailey – Row Ontario – Silver Medal

Will Crothers & Gavin Stone – Row Ontario – Bronze Medal

Women’s Pair

Caileigh Filmer & Piper Battersby – Rowing BC – Gold Medal – Kathleen Heddle & Marnie McBean Trophy Winner

Maya Meschkuleit – Row Ontario & McKenna Simpson – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Alexis Cronk – Row Ontario & Kirsten Edwards – Rowing BC – Bronze Medal

Women’s PR3 Pair

Danielle Main – Rowing BC & Karen Burnett – Vancouver Rowing Club – Gold Medal

2023 National Under 23 Rowing Champions

Men’s Under 23 Single Sculls

Michael Ciepiela – Row Ontario – Gold Medal

Liam Simpson – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Andrew Hubbard – Alberta Rowing Association – Bronze Medal

Women’s Under 23 Single Sculls

Emily Munroe – Row Nova Scotia – Gold Medal

Ceilidh MacDonald – Kingston Rowing Club – Silver Medal

Pepper Howe – Saskatchewan Rowing Association – Bronze Medal

Men’s Under 23 Lightweight Single Sculls

Stephen Harris – Row Ontario – Gold Medal

Giancarlo DiPompeo – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Charles-Etienne Tabet – Aviron Québec – Bronze Medal

Women’s Under 23 Lightweight Single Sculls

Karissa Riley – Alberta Rowing Association – Gold Medal

Sai Sai Faubert – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Elena Masyte – University of Victoria Rowing Club – Bronze Medal

Men’s Under 23 Pair

Axel Ewashko – Alberta Rowing Association & Emerson Crick – Row Nova Scotia – Gold Medal

Bob Bryden – Alberta Rowing Association & Kyle Nummi – Kingston Rowing Club – Silver Medal

Julien Weise – Rowing BC & Aidan Hembruff – Western University – Bronze Medal

Women’s Under 23 Pair

Sally Jones – Rowing BC & Rachel Weber – Row Ontario – Gold Medal

Ellie Sousa & Mira Calder – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Lyndsey Bryden – Rowing BC & Claire Ellison – Row Nova Scotia – Bronze Medal

2023 National Under 19 Rowing Champions

Men’s Under 19 Single Sculls

Robert Davis – Alberta Rowing Association – Gold Medal

Griffin Salmon – Alberta Rowing Association – Silver Medal

Caillen Piekenhagen – Ridley College – Bronze Medal

Women’s Under 19 Single Sculls

Chloe Fortin – Alberta Rowing Association – Gold Medal

Lucy Hallett – Rowing BC – Silver Medal

Melanie Helfenstein – Aviron Québec – Bronze Medal

Men’s Under 19 Pair

Liam Muir & Peter Scaccabarozzi – Rowing BC – Gold Medal

Declan Blue – Rowing BC & James Gemill – Victoria City Rowing Club – Silver Medal

Patrick Boyle & Nathan Brind – Vancouver College – Bronze Medal

Women’s Under 19 Pair

Sasha Fraser & Kate Watson – Victoria City Rowing Club – Gold Medal

Hayley Buchanan & Madeline Bartek – Alberta Rowing Association – Silver Medal

Ciana Della Siega & Willow Tzonev – Victoria City Rowing Club – Bronze Medal