LONDON, Ont. – The UBC Thunderbirds men's rowing team captured its fifth consecutive national team championship in a thrilling conclusion to the 2026 Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURCs), edging longtime rival University of Victoria by just two points. The Thunderbird women delivered an equally determined performance, earning five medals across six events to finish second in the national team standings.
Both programs showed impressive depth and resilience throughout the championship weekend that featured strong head winds and cross winds which threatened to delay and cancel racing on Fanshawe Lake, northeast of downtown London, as wind and rough water pushed the borderline of safe racing through Sunday's finals. Despite the elements, the T-Birds men's team claimed the title by one of the narrowest margins in recent years while the UBC women's squad made significant strides since 2025.
Thunderbirds Men Secure Fifth Straight National Team Title
The UBC men claimed the championship banner with
104 points, narrowly defeating UVic's 102, while Queen's University finished third with 91 points.
The victory reflected the team's remarkable consistency. Although UVic captured the prestigious men's eight final, UBC's ability to produce strong finishes across all six events ultimately proved decisive.
Leading the way was the men's pair of
Adrian Breen and Benjamin Buchheit, who captured gold following a commanding performance in Saturday's time trial. The duo's national title provided a critical contribution to the overall team championship.
The men's eight, coxed by
Edward Lalonde, delivered a hard-fought silver medal behind UVic, while the lightweight men's four, coxed by
Yohanna Harris, also secured silver in a fiercely competitive event.
Jack Harris added a bronze medal in the lightweight men's single, while also competing in both the lightweight four and lightweight double alongside
Henry Sowle.
Owen Bartel finished fourth in the men's single, while the lightweight double also placed fourth, contributing valuable points toward the championship.
In total, the Thunderbirds earned four medals, including one gold, two silver and one bronze, with every boat contributing to the narrow championship victory.
Men's Head Coach Mike Pearce
"There would have been no banner this year, our fifth in a row, without an exceptionally well-executed team effort. UVic pushed us very hard, and we knew that every boat had to row to its full potential and we had to lean on the depth of our squad. Everyone stepped up and played their part, and that consistency ultimately allowed us to win the day. I'm incredibly proud of the commitment, determination and trust this entire team demonstrated to pull this off."
UBC Men's Results
| Event |
Finish |
Athletes |
| Men's Pair (M2-) |
?? 1st |
Adrian Breen, Ben Buchheit |
| Men's Eight (M8+) |
?? 2nd |
Edward Lalonde (cox), Adrian Breen, Ben Buchheit, Maijken Meindertsma, Robert Walsh, Owen Bartel, Charlie Hovermale, Braden Durcak, Declan Blue |
| Lightweight Men's Four (LM4+) |
?? 2nd |
Yohanna Harris (cox), Henry Sowle, Jack Harris, Peter Scaccabarozzi, Finn Dahlstrom |
| Lightweight Men's Single (LM1x) |
?? 3rd |
Jack Harris |
| Men's Single (M1x) |
4th |
Owen Bartel |
| Lightweight Men's Double (LM2x) |
4th |
Henry Sowle, Jack Harris |
UBC Women Deliver Outstanding Five-Medal Performance to Finish Second Nationally
The Thunderbird women's team produced one of its strongest performances in recent years, finishing
second overall with 96 points, behind UVic's championship-winning total of 108 points. Western University placed third with 87 points.
UBC was the only women's program to qualify for all six A finals and medaled in five of those events, demonstrating exceptional depth across heavyweight and lightweight boat classes.
The women's eight, coxed by Gabriella (Ella) Diaz, delivered one of the weekend's most exciting performances, claiming silver just
2.6 seconds behind UVic in a closely contested championship final.
The women's pair of Maddy Vandermeer and
Willow Cherewaty added another silver medal, producing an excellent performance against a competitive national field.
The lightweight women's crews were equally impressive, securing three bronze medals. The lightweight four of
Abigail Nicholson,
Alex Duggan,
Brigitte Gaudert and
Morgan Harris-Stoertz, coxed by
Isabelle Chung, earned bronze, while Nicholson and Duggan added a second bronze in the lightweight double.
Morgan Harris-Stoertz completed the lightweight medal haul with bronze in the lightweight women's single, while
Amelia Wojtyk placed fifth in the open women's single, completing UBC's six A-final appearances.
The five-medal performance marked a significant improvement over 2025, when the women's program earned one medal, and reflects the continued growth and competitiveness of the Thunderbird women's rowing program.
Women's Head Coach Craig Pond
"UBC Women were the only team on the women's side to make all six A finals, medaling in five of six events. This was a big improvement over 2025, when we won just one medal. Although we came up a bit short in the hunt for the banner, I feel that the team dug deep this weekend, producing some very respectable results in a very deep field. I'm extremely proud of the way our athletes competed and the progress this team has made."
UBC Women's Results
| Event |
Finish |
Athletes |
| Women's Eight (W8+) |
?? 2nd |
Gabriella Diaz (cox), Amelia Wojtyk, Claudia Makhanko-Tang, Natasha Witts, Heidi Craiggs, Nikki Deschenes, Sarah Cushnie, Maddy Vandermeer, Willow Cherewaty |
| Women's Pair (W2-) |
?? 2nd |
Maddy Vandermeer, Willow Cherewaty |
| Lightweight Women's Four (LW4+) |
?? 3rd |
Isabelle Chung (cox), Abigail Nicholson, Alex Duggan, Brigitte Gaudert, Morgan Harris-Stoertz |
| Lightweight Women's Double (LW2x) |
?? 3rd |
Abigail Nicholson, Alex Duggan |
| Lightweight Women's Single (LW1x) |
?? 3rd |
Morgan Harris-Stoertz |
| Women's Single (W1x) |
5th |
Amelia Wojtyk |
A Championship Weekend for the Thunderbirds
Across the men's and women's programs, UBC accumulated nine medals from 12 events, with 11 top-four finishes, highlighting the overall strength and depth of Thunderbird rowing.
The men's fifth consecutive team championship continues an extraordinary run of national success, while the women's runner-up performance and five-medal haul signal a program gaining momentum and positioning itself for future championship challenges.
With both squads competing among Canada's best and showing the importance of collective effort across every event, the 2026 Canadian University Rowing Championships marked another proud chapter in UBC rowing history.
FULL RESULTS HERE
Final Team Standings
|
Men's Championship |
Women's Championship |
| 1st |
UBC – 104 pts |
UVic – 108 pts |
| 2nd |
UVic – 102 pts |
UBC – 96 pts |
| 3rd |
Queen's – 91 pts |
Western – 87 pts |
