The Under 19 Women’s Single Scull is looking to be a hard-fought competition, bringing together the best former and current school athletes and state representatives. Nearly all of these athletes are, in fact, racing together in crew boats, so this will very much be a fight between friends. All of the outlined forerunners here are in Year 12 and formed part of the WA Schools Pathway squad, so this is very much a display of the future talent of WA rowing.
Total Entries – 11
Lily Lucas – Fremantle Rowing Club (FRC)
Alongside fellow Swan River rower Hansen-Knarhoi, Lucas gave a robust performance this year at the Australian national championships earlier this year, taking third in both the Under 17 Double Sculls and Coxed Quad. At school, Lily was part of the John XXIII College’s First VIII, which came sixth at the IGSSA championships and took second at the All Schools Championship, just behind Jeannerat. Lucas has given a strong performance in the final pennant regattas, finishing third and second in her last two showings.
Olivia Hansen-Knarhoi – Fremantle Rowing Club (FRC)
The other half of the Fremantle B-grade double, Hansen-Knarhoi, has had an equally strong season, with her and Lucas swapping places with each passing pennant race. While staying in close competition with her clubmate, she had a far more successful season in the schoolgirls competition, finishing third, with Iona Presentation College.
Oceane Jeannerat – Fremantle Rowing Club (FRC)
The clear favourite off the back of the four pennant regattas, winning each, when competing, by a comfortable margin. Jennerat also took out the schoolgirls champion single scull at the WA All Schools State Championship, finishing ahead of Lucas by a safe two seconds, but did not compete in the IGSSA season due to her school.
Stella Wandel – West Australia Rowing Club (WARC)
Wandel was a part of the Presbyterian Ladies College Perth eight that came eighth in the Schoolgirls VIII at the national championships and won the school’s tenth straight IGSSA Head of the River in June, all whilst serving as the school’s Vice-Captain of rowing. However, she has not been competing in the U19 single in the lead-up regattas. Instead, plying her trade in the A Grade single, she has given some admirable performances, despite missing out on a top-three finish, in addition to winning the coxless four and quad. She has therefore not competed against much of this field and is very much a dark horse entrant.
Conclusion and Prediction
1st – Oceane Jeannerat – Fremantle Rowing Club
2nd – Stella Wandel – West Australian Rowing Club
3rd – Lily Lucas – Fremantle Rowing Club
While Jeannerat has been comfortably controlling the competition thus far, adding Wandel into the fray upsets the balance. I predict Lucas and Hansen-Knarhoi will be the race for third, with Lucas prevailing for the final podium place. I believe the race between Wandel and Jeannerat will be worth watching, with the untested Wandel in with a definite chance, though I expect the experience against this field will secure Jeannerat the state title.
