On July 28 and 29, the North Bay Canoe Club attended the Eastern Ontario Division (16+) Qualifier in Ottawa. The top four finishers qualify for Nationals in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on August 29 to September 2 while the top eight finishers qualify for the Ontario Championships in Welland on August 19.
The Club has been growing under the guidance of head coach, Mihail Oghina, and officials with the club believe the hard work of the athletes is starting to show in their results.
At the end of the regatta, the Club will be sending fourteen U16 and one Masters athletes to Provincials and Nationals.
In addition, the Club qualified a U16 mixed canoe for Nationals which has not happened in quite a few years.
Club athletes who qualified for Nationals in either canoe or kayak races include:
- Caleb Allingham (C4 1000m and IC4 500m)
- Rhiannon Bamrick (K4 500m, K4 1000m, K2 500m, and K4 1000m)
- Nuala Clarke (IC4 500m and C4 1000m)
- Wes Clouthier, (C4 1000m, IC4 500m, C2 500m, and K4 1000m)
- Mylee Evans (IC4 500 m and C4 1000m)
- Mayla Gagnon (K4 500m and K4 1000m, K2 500m, and K2 1000m)
- Oscar Graves (K1 200m, K2 1000m, and K4 1000m)
- Diana Khorotkyh (K4 500m and K4 1000m)
- Eddie Masse (C4 1000m and IC4 500m)
- Ellie McClelland (K4 1000m and K4 500m)
- Nancy Olmstead (K1 500m Masters)
- Evelyn Ross (IC4 500 m and C4 1000m)
- Haley Sebesta (IC4 500 m and C4 1000m)
- Nathaniel Suppa (C4 1000m, IC4 500m, C2 500m, and K4 1000m)
- Carson Vierich (K4 1000m)
Canoe Club officials say there could even be more local athletes qualifying as some athletes are waiting on possible wildcard berths for Nationals.
All athletes are moving on to the Ontario Championships in the races above along with additional races due to their top 8 finish.
Up next for the local canoe club is the 12U/14U Eastern Ontario Championships which the Club is hosting at Olmstead Beach on August 12.
Local athletes will be competing in hopes to qualify for the Ontario Championships in Welland on August 20.