Syd_canoe_09-32

Jeff Green | Aug 13, 2009

Members of the Sydenham Lake Canoe Clubs midget girls C4 team will be heading to the Nationals in Quebec. (l-r) Cia Myles-Gonzales, Erika Gibbons, Ally Fenlong and Robyn Miazga

This past weekend the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club hosted the Eastern Ontario Division Championships at Point Park. Participating canoe clubs competing along with Sydenham included North Bay, Carleton Place, Rideau, Ottawa River, and Gananoque.

It was a big day for paddlers since these races offered an opportunity for them to qualify for the Nationals that will be held in Sherbrooke, Quebec on Labour Day weekend.

The Sydenham Club had a total of 11 competitors this year and, for a small club, they did extremely well overall. The club’s commodore Erik Miazga and coach Haeleigh Miazga were both extremely pleased with Sydenham’s results.

On Saturday the younger competitors raced and Genevieve L’Abbe placed 2nd overall in the PeeWee girls K1-1000m race.

Jack Fenlong came first in his heat for the Bantam Boys K1-2000m race.

Sunday was the busier day out on the lake for Sydenham as the older competitors took to the water.

Robyn Miazga and Cia Myles-Gonzales placed 5th overall in the Midget Girls K2-1000m and will go to the Nationals as a divisional spare. The two also placed 2nd overall in the midget girls C2-1000m, which guaranteed them a spot at the Nationals.

The Midget Girls K4-1000m team of Cia, Alaina McIlroy, Krissy Jones and Ally Fenlong placed 4th overall and will head to the Nationals with Robyn Miazga taking Ally’s place.

Also securing a spot in the Nationals were the team of Robyn, Cia, Ally and Erika Gibbons, who placed second in the Midget Girls C4-1000m.

Both Sydenham coaches, Char McKenna and Haeleigh, competed in the juvenile women’s C2-500m and placed second, giving them a spot at the Nationals. Unfortunately, Haeleigh will be unable to make the Nationals this year because she will be starting school at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design this fall. Cia Myles-Gonzalez is happy to take her place.

Cia and Robyn are excited about heading off to the Nationals but admitted that they have a lot of work still to do. This will be their 3rd time heading to the Nationals. In their first year they raced with their coaches in the C4 and came 5th in Canada. Last year they raced in the midget girls C2 and K2 and did not place.

Both girls were wary to make any predictions until they have raced the winners of Western Divisional Championships, which they are set to do in two weeks time at the Ontario races that are to be held in Sudbury.