Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Presbyterian Ladies’ College’s domination of rowing is complete after an 11th successive Head of the River triumph at Champion Lakes on Saturday.
The First Eight crew’s victory was PLC’s 13th overall, equalling the Independent Girls Schools Sports Association record shared by Methodist Ladies’ College.
It capped a 14th overall win as the Head of the River champion school, and they were also crowned season premiers for the 14th year in a row.
Coached by ex-Great Britain Olympic coach John Gearing, the crew of Milly Ahern, Ruby Davis, Ottillia Miller, Maggie Wandel, Tara Swingler, Pepper Roberts, Freya Wakefield, and Celia Rosser plus coxswain Laura Gillam executed its race plan perfectly in stunning weather with a light cross-head wind.
PLC won in 7min34.6 sec, with MLC 9.33sec behind. Perth College was third, 14.91 sec back, with St Hilda’s fourth another 28.6sec astern.
Rosser, the PLC captain of boats who was in the sixth seat, celebrated her second first eight HOR win, as did Swingler.
Remarkably, 17 PLC crews remained undefeated this season, including the first, second and third eights. It won 18 of 31 events yesterday.
PLC showed early signs of strength the Old Scholars warm-up race, a traditional curtain-raiser at the Head of the River.
That race featured the Penrhos 1998 HOR winning crew along with Australian representatives and club rowers.
“The result today was a culmination of all the hard work over many early, cold and dark mornings. They crew and whole shed should be incredibly proud of not only the achievements today but over the entire season,” PLC head of sport Sam Maxwell said.
“John Gearing has only been coach for seven weeks, so we are excited about the future.”
