By Bernie Puchalski - November 22, 2021
Denis Morris rower and St. Catharines Rowing Club member Cait Whittard won the junior women’s single at the recent National Rowing Championships. Kevin Light photo.
Cait Whittard has had a most excellent fall.
The Grade 12 student at Denis Morris kicked off her amazing autumn by placing third in the under-19 women’s single at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.
The St. Catharines Rowing Club member then put her name on the dotted line by committing to row at the NCAA Division 1 level for the University of Tennessee.
Four days after that major moment, Whittard captured the gold medal in the junior women’s single at the National Rowing Championships on Elk Lake in Victoria, B.C.
“I thought my race went very well,” the 2021 CanAmMex team member said. “It seemed that everything I had practiced had come together at the right moment. I was very happy where I ended up finishing overall and in the junior category.”
Whittard came out of the time trial ranked 14th in the overall standings and she ended up ninth. In the junior category, she went from fourth in the time trial to national champion.
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By Bill Potrecz - November 16, 2021
Christian Rotundo got a late start on the links.
The 17-year-old Thorold native grew up wanting to be the next Connor McDavid, but when those dreams didn’t pan out, he traded his hockey stick for a set of golf clubs.
“As I was smaller I was really into hockey, but making it to the NHL was not going to happen,” Rotundo said. “About four years ago, I started playing competitively and I fell in love with it ever since.
“It’s been something I’ve been working towards the past year-and-a-half, to play at the next level, and it’s happening now.”
Rotundo recently accepted an athletic scholarship to play golf and study business at Ohio Valley University (OVU).
“I made the decision in April where I wanted to go and up until just after Christmas I was in contact with a bunch of schools,” he said. “I just chose OVU because of the offer that they gave me.”
Rotundo said the school will be covering more than half of his tuition through the athletic portion of the scholarship with the possibility of earning even money more through academics.
But dollars weren’t the only reason the Grade 12 Denis Morris student chose OVU.
“The coach (Bud Tate) has an unbelievable resume, he’s been there for a long time,” Rotundo said. “He’s been in the golf industry for just over 20 years and that’s a big factor.”
Rotundo said the future is bright for golf at the private Christian college.
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By Bernie Puchalski - November 15, 2021
Two weekends ago, St. Catharines Rowing Club member Giancarlo DiPompeo made a triumphant return to the local rowing scene.
Competing for the University of Victoria at the South Niagara Rowing Club in Welland, the 18-year-old Thorold native won double gold at the Canadian University Rowing Championships to help the UVic men’s squad capture the team title.
The Denis Morris grad combined with Matthew Thompson to win the lightweight men’s double and then teamed with Thompson, Riley Raso, Patrick Keane and Jordan MacDougall to cross the finish line first in the lightweight men’s coxed four.
“It was definitely a surprise but I didn’t think it was out of reach,” DiPompeo said of his double gold performance. “Once we got there, we felt pretty good but we didn’t know anything. We didn’t know how we would do but we knew we had put in the work to be there.”
In Saturday’s time trials in the double, DiPompeo and his partner finished a few seconds behind Brock in second place and that gave them a boost of confidence heading into Sunday’s finals
“We knew we had a good four and had a really good shot of winning but after how we did in the double, it locked down that confidence and belief in the four,” he said. “It sparked a big belief and we knew we the opportunity presented itself for us to go on the next day and perform.”
DiPompeo and his crewmates did just that and they were multiple champions when the regatta ended Sunday.
“It was quite a lot to take in all at once,” he said. “I was feeling overwhelmed with happiness and joy. It was one of the biggest things that I had ever accomplished in sport thus far.
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By Bernie Puchalski - November 10, 2021
It was decision time this week for Denis Morris rower Cait Whittard.
The 17-year-old St. Catharines resident had four NCAA Division 1 rowing scholarships to choose from and Wednesday she announced that Tennessee was her final destination.
“I really like the team, I think they have a really bright future and that’s where I figured I could see myself for the next four years,” the Grade 12 student said.
The member of the 2021 Canadian squad for the CanAmMex regatta was able to visit Tennessee during the Thanksgiving weekend and she came away impressed with the school.
“I felt really supported by the school itself and the coaches,” the St. Catharines Rowing Club member said. “Going away from home it is still going to feel like I am at home because of the great group of people around me.”
She can’t wait to get started on her next adventure.
“I am excited about getting to row with a big group of girls and a team,” she said. “I have been rowing the single for awhile now so it will be nice to get into some crew boats and enjoy my university experience down there.”
The racing will also be fun.
“I am looking forward to racing against international athletes and getting to know girls from other parts of the world will be an interesting experience,” he said. “It will be nice to support other athletes who are there and, of course get an education.”
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It was obvious to anyone watching that Dylan Maltby loves being back on the court with the Denis Morris Reds senior boys basketball team.