Victorian Surf Boat team announced! The Victoria team was confirmed after the completion of the VSRL Navy series on the weekend. The team of thirty, including Team Manager Conrad Pearson, will represent Victoria at the Interstate Championships which will be held on the Saturday morning of the Navy Australian Surf Rowers League Open. Conrad Pearson will be overseeing the team throughout competition. Conrad has a rich history in the sport and first represented Victoria in 1994 when he was filling in for an injured rower. Conrad has represented Victoria on a number of occasions and has also represented NSW once before! Conrad believes that there is no reason why the Victorian team can’t push the top crews at the Interstate Championships. “With a consistent team, strong desire to put in our best performances and the spirit of the Big V there is no reason why we can’t not just be competitive, but really be in with a chance to challenge the big guns of NSW and QLD” Conrad said. Conrad also added that Victorian surf boat rowing is as strong as ever. “From my observation of racing this season in the position as a sweep and occasionally a rower, the pointy end of rowing in Victoria is as strong as ever” he said. Remarkably, the team has twenty nine rowers and sweeps and not one of the members of the 2014 were in the Victorian side in 2013! Conrad will be used for his experience as a rower and sweep to mentor all rowers and sweeps for the competition. The team is filled with plenty of youth and experience and one of the younger members of the team is Chelsea Rawnson. Chelsea is racing in the Seaspray Boats n Hoes Under 23 Women crew for her second year and is extremely proud to be representing her state, something that was set as a goal from day one. “To set a goal is one thing but to achieve it is another” Chelsea said. “We said last year that this was our season to make the state team and even with a new crew member that has never rowed before we did it.” Chelsea is thriving at the opportunity to race with her fellow Victorians. “I feel so privileged to share the experience with so many top crews from around the Victoria coast, especially crews from the Surf Coast who I have admired during my rowing career” she said. Below is your Victorian team for the 2014 Interstate Championships, to be held at 8am on Saturday 8 February 2014. Team Manager – Conrad Pearson Team Captain - Andrew ‘AJ’ McLarty Open Men – Lorne Grizzlies Bow – Andrew ‘AJ’ McLarty 2 seat – James Marburg 3 seat – Josh Nalder Stroke – Nicholas Phelps Sweep - Geoff Matthews The Lorne Grizzlies have had to do it tough to make the Victorian team for the Interstate Championships. They faced tough competition from team mates and rivals the Lorne Big A and Miracles and Lorne Pounder’. The crew are full of experience including sweep Geoff Matthews who has represented Victorian on more than one occasion. Add the Olympic experience that James Marburg holds and the leadership from ‘AJ’ who is the team captain and this crew should be extremely competitive against the other states. Open Women – Lorne Edge Bow – Paula Matthews 2 seat – Chantal Guziak 3 seat – Joanna Gray Stroke – Jessica Kelleher Sweep - Geoff Matthews It took until the last Open Women’s race for the Victorian Navy Series to decide the Open Women’s Victorian spot and it was Lorne Edge who prevailed against the highly regarding Torquay Groovers. The Lorne Edge were extremely competitive at the 2013 Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships and they have held that form again this year, winning two of the Victorian NAVY series events in 2013/2014. This is a crew improving by the day and Geoff Matthews will have them primed for the Interstate Championships Reserve Grade – Lorne Wasavics Bow – Jamie Robertson 2 seat – Steve Le Hullier 3 seat – Andrew Downie Stroke – Jay Parkin Sweep - Frank Veltman The Lorne Wasavics have destroyed the Reserve Grade category this year! The crew, swept by Frank Veltman, have won four NAVY series events this season and came 3rd at the VSRL Open. They are flying on the water and Frank will be extremely confident that they can deliver at the Interstate Championships. Under 23 Men – Mornington Pure Beef Bow – Trevor Jarvis 2 seat – Jared Budgeb 3 seat – Tristan Kay Stroke – Anthony Currie Sweep - Mitchell Currie The Mornington Pure Beef are a familiar name on the beaches in Victoria as they have competed together for a few years now. They have always finished near the top of the table and this year they are led by the Novice Sweep of the Year in 2013, Mitchell Currie. Under 23 Women – Seaspray Boats ‘n’ Hoes Bow – Gracie Cartwright 2 Seat – Emily Olsson 3 Seat – Sarah Cotterill Stroke – Chelsea Rawnson Sweep – Glenn Lazzaro The Seaspray Boats ‘n’ Hoes have shared a strong ‘friendly’ rivalry with the Woolamai Warriors for two seasons now and after Woolamai represented Victoria in 2013 its Seaspray turn! The crew won four NAVY Series events in Victoria this season and are becoming extremely popular in the surf boat community. Glenn Lazzaro and all of the sweeps have done an incredible job with this crew and its highly deserving for the club to have a crew representing Victoria! Under 19 – Jan Juc Pirates Bow – James Hoare 2 Seat – Mitch Gardiner 3 seat - Karl Voss Stroke – Haden Duggan Sweep – Jonathon Ward The Jan Juc Pirates began in June this year in the cold waters of Eastern Beach, Geelong. They have matured in the sport and this was shown in the final of the VSRL Open when they came from seven – eight lengths behind to win comfortably against the opposition. They have racing experience against interstate crews which they got while competing at the ASRL Youth Stampede in South Australia and that experience will come in handy when Jonathon Ward sweeps this crew at the Interstate Championships! Congratulations to all of the members who have been selected for the Big V! Aaron Tannahill
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 08:28:49 +0000
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