This race will be a fierce battle between Victoria’s two top women’s open eights on their home turf. With Mercantile having won this event last year, Melbourne University will be looking to reclaim its title from its neighbours down the road. The 3.5km head race down the Yarra begins at Herring Island in South Yarra and will finish in front of boathouse row. The Yarra River is full of many twists and turns; therefore, taking a good line will be crucial to success in this event. Melbourne University cox, Ivy Jones, and Mercantile cox, Jess Rawolle, will both be looking to extract every last drop of advantage they can find on the strings to ensure their crews the best chance of victory.
Melbourne University
The Melbourne University boat features multiple athletes who have competed for Australia at the U23 level, as well as several with notable experience in American collegiate rowing. Headlining this wealth of experience are U23 World Rowing Championship bronze medallists Sara D’Uray in the five-seat, and bow seat, Romy Cantwell. D’Uray having secured her medal in the four in 2023, and Cantwell in the single this year. Romy has also recently returned from the senior World Championships in Shanghai, where she placed 11th in the world in the single. Adding to the crew’s international racing experience is Zara Lavery, who stroked the four at this year’s U23 World Championships. Meg Dumbrell and Chloe Nevins both possess extensive high-level racing experience, including winning two gold medals at this year’s Australian Rowing Championships in the U21 four and the open women’s eight, competing in the Interstate Regatta Victorian Youth eight, and representing the University of Miami and Syracuse University, respectively. This dynamic duo will be looking to lead the Melbourne University 8+ to victory in the stern pair. In the two-seat, the crew is supported by Aaliah Dawson, who has just returned down under from the University of Miami, and will be looking for her first race win back on home soil. Rounding out this combination are Yolunda Hooper and Bridget Harwood. With this breadth of racing experience at both the domestic and international level, Melbourne University will arrive on Saturday’s start line as the favourites in this event.
Mercantile
The reigning champions in this event, the Mercantile crew will be looking to defend their title this weekend. The ladies in red and white are guided by Freya Axten in stroke seat, who competed as part of Mercantile’s Wargrave eight at the Henley Royal Regatta in July this year. In the five seat is Aphrodite Gioulekas, who has recently graduated from Syracuse University, where she competed in their first eight, which has had a successful run the last few seasons, winning the 2024 ACC conference and placing in the top 12 at NCAAs the previous two years. More recently, Gioulekas has spent some time in Penrith training with the Women’s National Training Centre. In seat six is Meg Cartwright, who last raced in this event for Melbourne University but has since made the move down the road. Known for laying down watts, Meg will add serious power to this crew. Crew members Zoe Korr and Mia Harrison both competed for Mercantile as members of their U21 eight last season, and we look forward to seeing their debut in the open class. The crew is capped off by Robyn Selb Smith, Lindsay Calvert, and Emily Carruthers.
Prediction
The result of this race will be watched closely, as it offers a glimpse of what we can expect next weekend at the most esteemed Australian head race, Head of the Yarra. I think, given the depth of talent and international racing experience Melbourne University has in this event, they are the clear favourites to take home the medal.
