Rowing Canada honours Niagara residents
Lucas Maroney was named the male recipient of Rowing Canada Aviron’s Junior Athlete of the Year Award for the second straight year. BPSN file photo.
A number of local residents were honoured with Rowing Canada Aviron Excellence Awards which celebrate outstanding contributions and achievements in 2024.
Scott Anderson was named the winner of the Jack Nicholson Bursary for his long-standing commitment to coaching. Anderson has coached with the St. Catharines Rowing Club, Brock University and the NextGen coaching team at the National Training Centre.
Bill Schenk was one of two winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work at improving rowing facilities, supporting athletes and securing world-class events, including the 1999 and 2024 World Rowing Championships in St. Catharines. He is a 2019 inductee into the St. Catharines Sports Wall of Fame and his lengthy resume includes serving as the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta commissioner since 2000.
Giancarlo DiPompeo was named the male winner of the U23 Athlete of the Year Award. Competing in the under-23 men’s lightweight double at the world championships, DiPompeo and crewmate Owen Kudreikis placed fourth, missing the podium by 4.28 seconds. Earlier in the year, DiPompeo won a silver medal at the World University Games, missing gold by 0.8. seconds.
Lucas Maroney was named the male recipient of the Junior Athlete of the Year Award for the second straight year. Maroney won the senior boys single at the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association championships and then represented Canada for the third straight year at the junior worlds. Maroney ended up in fifth place, besting the ninth-place result he had in 2023.
Coxie Kristen Kit was a member of the women’s eight that won Senior Athlete/Crew of the Year. The boat earned a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Ken Campbell of the St. Catharines Rowing Club was recognized with a 50-year Long Service Award and Meredith Petrychanko of the St. Catharines Rowing Club was honoured for 20 years of service.
Also recognized with International Achievement Awards were all the athletes who represented Canada internationally and won a medal in 2024.
Locals honoured were: DiPompeo, single at the World University Games; Brock’s Connor Dodds and Charles-Etienne Tabet, lightweight men’s double at the World University Games; Kit, women’s eight at Paris Olympics and World Cup II; Morgan Rosts, Royal Henley Regatta winner in women’s four; Aiden Djerfi, men’s four and eight at CanAmMex Regatta; Ridley College’s Sophie Bell, women’s four and eight at CanAmMex Regatta; Jack Ciocca, men’s coxed four at CanAmMex Regatta; and, Ridley College’s Charlotte Langlois, women’s eight at CanAmMex Regatta.
