Coach Peter Bond expects Jack Davey to be a contender at the national titles in two weeks after spearheading a memorable NSW CHS championships for Maitland Grossmann High School and Endeavour Rowing Club.
Davey won the Reg Galvin Memorial Award for the second consecutive year as the outstanding male rower of the Combined High Schools regatta at Sydney International Rowing Centre in Penrith on February 26.
In a boat borrowed from Maclean High, Davey took out the coveted single scull title by six lengths. Davey had broken the foot-stretcher in his boat in the heats but was able to recover and make the decider before finding a replacement.
He also combined with Rob Weatherall in the double sculls and with new crew members Mitchell Scales and Cameron McConville, and coxswain Michael Eveleigh, in the quad sculls.
Davey and Weatherall won a fourth consecutive double sculls titles, cruising to a 35-second victory, and Maitland Grossmann secured a third consecutive crown in the quad.
Fourth after 750 metres of the 2000m course in the quad sculls, Davey and Weatherall increased their stroke rate to lift Maitland Grossmann to a length win over Sydney Boys High.
Davey and Weatherall backed up to win the under 19 double sculls final at the NSW championships a week later for Endeavour Rowing Club.
Next for the pair will be the Australian open rowing championships at Penrith from March 19.
Endeavour Rowing Club coach Bond said the boys had been training well and he expected Davey to challenge for the national under 19 title.
“They put in a very good performance at training this morning and Jack has lifted his levels from the CHS titles, so I certainly think he will be a contender at nationals,” Bond said.
Also at the CHS titles, Rebecca Davey was fourth in the women’s under 17 single scull. Davey led at the halfway point of the final before hitting a marker buoy.
The crew of Scales, McConville, Eveleigh, Weatherall and coxswain Rebecca Davey also took fourth place in the men’s champion four.
