As two Ridley rowers prepare to take on competitors from across North America at an elite international regatta in July, Ridley is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of our school’s highly successful rowing programme.

The latest rowing milestone for Ridley came with the recent announcement by Rowing Canada Aviron that student athletes Clark Schultz ’17, of Grimsby, Ontario, and Seth Moyer ’18, of Beamsville, Ontario, have been selected among 48 athletes from across Canada to compete for the Junior National Team, which includes teams for both the CanAmMex Regatta and Junior World Rowing Championships.

Clark and Seth will join the CanAmMex team at a training camp in Sarasota, Florida beginning July 11, 2016 before competition on July 16 and 17.

Having the two student athletes named to the CanAmMex team helps cap what has been a great 50^th anniversary season of rowing for Ridley, where the program is led by our head coaches Siobhan McLaughlin and Dereck Schwandt.

“We’re extremely proud of Clark and Seth,” said Coach Schwandt. “Both of them worked extremely hard and earned great results throughout the season. It’s a remarkable achievement for them to be selected to this team and face the best young rowers across North America.”

Earlier this month Ridley crews qualified in eight final events at the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association Regatta, winning a total of four medals — gold, silver and two bronze. In May, Ridley’s rowers and dedicated coaches hit the road to compete in the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia and the Welland SNRC Invitational, performing well at both regattas. Ridley captured first place in the Junior Men’s 4x in Philadelphia. The following day in Welland, Ridley crews captured first place in the Senior Men’s 4x, Senior Girls’ Lightweight 1x and Senior Girls’ 4x (mixed 4x event) races. Seth Moyer also achieved two third place finishes in the Men’s 1x and Men’s 72kg 1x at the SNRC Invitational.

After launching the rowing programme with a single racing shell in the spring of 1966, Ridley quickly established itself as a contender. Just two years after the program hit the water, Ridley claimed its first Calder Cleland trophy as Canadian Schoolboy Champion (Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association Champion) and placed second in standing for overall points.

Over the past five decades Ridley has continued this tradition of excellence and established itself as one of Canada’s most successful secondary school rowing programs.

Highlights over the past 50 years include:

• 14 Ridley alumni have rowed at Olympic Games.
• Since entering the CSSRA Championships in 1968, Ridley College is third among all secondary schools in gold medals between 1941 and 2015.
• 82 gold medals won at CSSRA Championships.
• 25 victories at Stotesbury Cup Regatta (American Secondary School Championships).
• Five Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup victories at the Henley Royal Regatta in England — arguably the most prestigious rowing regatta in the world. This is tied for second most among all schools and leads all overseas schools.
• Two Thames Challenge Cup victories at the Henley Royal Regatta.
• Ridley hosts the Ontario Ergometer Championships annually, attracting the best rowers from across the province.

 “Over the past 50 years, we’ve established an incredible standard in this sport and we look forward to building on our reputation in the years ahead,” said Jay Tredway, Director of Athletics. “Our student athletes represent the school extremely well, both on and off the water. We are not only developing excellent athletes, but also leaders and global ambassadors.”

Read the Niagara this Week article.

Listen to CKTB’s interview with Ridley’s Director of Athletics.