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Last weekend, the St Peter’s College Boat Club competed in the 2019 South Australian State Championships 2 – day regatta. Presented with extremely hot conditions on Saturday 2 March, the boys competed with a display of resilience and training smarts that allowed us to handle the conditions with class. On Sunday 3 March the weather was a more typical summers day and all boys recovered well from the day before allowing all crews to execute their best performance.

Across all squads, performances improved with some crews winning the State Champion title which is a credit to the boat club’s culture of respect, resilience and ownership.

State Champion – Under 19 Mens Single Scull
James Andrewartha (Year 12)

State Champions – School Boy Coxed 4
Ben Ashmam (Year 11), Jack Kelsh (Year 12), James Andrewartha (Year 12), Harry Sclater (Year 12), Cox: Tim Prince (Year 12)

State Champions – School Boy First VIII
George Nery (Year 12), Josh Dunstan, Ben Ashman (Year 11), Jack Kelsh (Year 12), Oliver Cobain (Year 12), Max Linton (Year 12), James Andrewartha, Harry Sclater (Year 12), Cox: Tim Prince (Year 12)

State Champions – School Boy Year 9 Coxed Quad Scull
Fraser Balnaves, Jake Nesbitt, Edward Chipperfield, Kyle Miller, Cox: Jamie Graves

State Champions – Under 19 Mens Coxless Quad Scull
Ben Ashman (Year 11), Jack Kelsh (Year 12), James Andrewartha (Year 12), Max Linton (Year 12)

State Champions – Open Mens VIII
The State Opens Men Title has been dominated by senior club crews over the 126 year history of the event. This year, St Peter’s College decided to enter a crew, made up of six members of the First VIII school boy crew along with their coach James McRae and Jed Altschwager. Jed was a silver medalist at last year’s Para-Rowing World Championships and James was a silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Both Jed and James thought this race against grown men whom half are in the senior state crew (The Kings Cup) would provide the Saints First VIII a challenge going into the Head of the River.

The entire race was side by side with the lead changing several times. The Saints crew had a great sprint home to win the State title over a crew that no one thought we could beat. A historical win for the Boat Club and the School!

Winning Open Mens VIII Crew include:
Ben Ashman (Year 11), Jed Altschwager (Torrens Rowing Club), Oliver Cobain (Year 12), Jack Kelsh (Year 12), James Andrewartha (Year 12), Max Linton (Year 12), James McRae (Murray Bridge Rowing Club and Senior St Peter’s Boat Club rowing coach), Harry Sclater (Year 12), Cox: Tim Prince (Year 12)

The Boat Club now sets its focus on the Head of the River on 23 March and Australian National Championships.

Tim Hennessy
Director of Rowing