This year, Cantabs will be entering 10 women’s eights – the largest number of women’s eights entered by any competing club. Last year, the Cantabs women’s crews went +16 across 11 crews, and held the women’s Headship that they won in 2017.
The 2018/19 season has been a successful one for all of the Cantabs women’s squads, seeing wins across events on-Cam as well as nationally. This has included everything from wins in novice eights for the Women’s Progression Squad, to the club’s first ever win at Fours Head of the River, and masters athletes completing the ‘trifecta’ of Tideway heads by winning at Pairs Head, Vet Fours Head, and Vets Head.
You can read more about each squad by clicking the link on each crew list.
The 2019 Cantabs women’s crews
5 of last year’s W1 which rowed over as Head of the River race again this year in W1. The crew contains athletes who have won at Henley Women’s Regatta, the Women’s Eights Head of the River, Fours Head of the River, amongst many other races in recent years. The 2, 3 and 4 seats of this crew are all former members of winning Cambridge Lightweight Women’s Blue Boats, with Georgie Plunkett winner of the Lightweight W1x at Met Regatta this year.
W1 – Senior Women’s Squad – Starting Head of the River:
Esther Momcilovic (cox), Andrea de Bruin, Ellie Darlington, Ann Laube, Eve Caroe, Debs Oakley, Georgie Plunkett, Liv Hamilton, Georgia Vann
This year’s W2 is made up of returning junior members of the club, who now row for their respective universities. Former Junior Captain, Eva Hill, was in the final of the Championship Lightweight 2x at Henley Women’s this year with Nottingham University, with Emily May, Kate Lyster and Franky Bailey-Tait all in the same finalist Aspirational 4x at the same event with Reading University. Millie Perrin was a Henley Women’s Regatta and WEHORR winner whilst rowing at Cantabs, and won the Osiris-Blondie race in 2018. Cox Callum Mantell is a former winner of the Lightweight Men’s Boat Race.
W2 – Hills Returners – Starting 3rd in Division 1:
Callum Mantell (cox), Millie Perrin*, Bea Loveridge*, Emily May, Kate Lyster, Eva Hill*, Franky Bailey-Tait*, Bex Hawthorne, Abi Smith
This year’s 3rd 8+ is not just the first Town Bumps for Caroline Draper, but her first race in the UK, after moving to Cambridge from New York earlier this year. She is in good company, with this crew including Fours Head winners Valentina Sassow and Eve Beere, and Henley Women’s winner and member of the 100 Marathon club, Lindsay Hamilton. 2-seat Evelyn Svingen will also be racing as cox of M11, the Coaches’ 8+.
W3 – Senior Women’s Squad – Starting 6th in Division 1:
Catherine Bowden (cox), Isabella Mahoney, Clara Lloyd, Lindsay Hamilton, Valentina Sassow, Caroline Draper, Charlotte Anderson, Evelyn Svingen, Eve Beere*
The 4th 8+ this year combines a mixture of youth and experience, with stern pair Gill Cooper and Judith Weik this year winners of W.MasC.2- at Pairs Head, W.MasC.4- at Vet Fours Head, and W.MasD.8+ at Vets Head. Katie Brown and Teresa Baron race with Cantabs for the first time. Meanwhile, Maria Fischer makes her annual return to rowing, usually being found in an outrigger canoe or dragon boat, representing Great Britain on the world stage.
W4 – Senior Women’s Squad – Starting 9th in Division 1:
Isabel Nimmo (cox), Gill Cooper, Judith Weik*, Katie Brown, Teresa Baron, Maria Fischer, Christina Woolner, Tali Caldecott, Sue Hakenbeck
Half of this year’s W5 raced last weekend at Henley Masters Regatta, where they reached the final of W.MasB.4+, the first Intermediate Squad crew to race at the event. Steph’s partner Clive will be racing in M18, Rebeccca’s husband Lucio will be racing in M8, and Debbie’s daughter Catherine will be racing in W7, ahead of competing at the British Junior Championships this weekend.
W5 – Intermediate Women’s Squad – Starting 4th in Division 2:
Maria Chukanova (cox), Hana Lango Allen, Debbie Morley*, Laura Mitchell, Jenny Bartley, Sally Hames*, Emily Kruger, Steph Creasey*, Rebecca Cicolecchia*
W6 will be chasing Champs W3 on day 1.
W6 – Intermediate Women’s Squad – Starting 6th in Division 2:
Colette Milbourn* (cox), Heather Tong, Aleks Wlodek, Jasmin Stein*, Jess Dobrin, Marjon Hilgenga*/Jess Santos*, Marie Goujon, Emma Gordon*, ChiYing Chen/Alysha Patel
W7 this year comprises a mixture of returning juniors, with current members of the Hills Road junior squad. Nell’s mother Judith will be racing in W4, and Catherine’s mother Debbie in W5. Stani Georgieva races as a cox for the first time, with seat shares from members of the Junior Squad racing at the British Rowing Junior Championships this weekend.
W7 – Hills W1 + Returners – Starting 12th in Division 2:
Stanimira Georgieva (cox), Nell Weik-Clark*, Ellie Cook*, Fiona McBride*, Sirena Neaves*, Sophie Gledhill*, Cota Toro*, Emma Stephens*, Katie Oliver*/Catherine Morley*/Nicola Pearson/Bea Watts
This year’s W8 is made up of members of the Hills Road squad, with 9 of the 14 racing over the course of the week competing in their 2nd year of Town Bumps. Members of this crew have raced at Nat Schools, as well as racing on-Cam. Shannon is from a rowing family, with her father Gary racing in M17, and her brother Harry racing at the British Junior Championships this weekend.
W8 – Hills Learn to Row – Starting 13th in Division 2:
Jenny Thackston* (cox), Martha Pierce*, Ellie Defries*, Xing Yi Low*/Melody Lessan*/Livvy Durrant*, Anita Megarry*/Holly Cox*/Alice Bates*, Eva Hussan*, Beth Wilson*/Shannon O’Shea*, Crystal O’Kelly*, Ruby Freeman*
Members of the Progression Women’s Squad have had a good season this year, with wins at Champs Eights Head, St Radegund Mile and Head of the Cam. This year they hope to extend this winning streak as they aim to bump up into Division 2 for the first time. Sheena’s son Robert will be racing in M2, ahead of racing in the J18 8+ and 1x at the British Junior Championships this weekend.
W9 – Progression Squad – Starting 1st in Division 3:
Chris Howard (cox), Alyson Savill*, Barbara Blacklaws*/Sheena Almqvist*, Alex Hirons*, Maureen Donnelly*/Kasia Brzoska*, Barbara Hughes*/Barbara Herdy, Catherine Lam*, Helen Walker*, Agnieszka Chaberska
W10 are comprised of members of Racks Out, a crew celebrating their 10th Bumps this year, with 6 original crew members. This squad enters one international regatta a year, and have competed in Poland, Italy and Spain in recent years. When racing in Germany in Cambridge’s twin city of Heidelberg, they were even coxed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they raced in a composite crew with members of the Olympic German M8+.
W10 – Racks Out – Starting 3rd in Division 3:
Cat Darsley (cox), Darcy Weaver, Hannah Becker, Jane Thorpe, Jennifer Mullocks*, Elena Provenzano, Kate Belger*/Jo Powles, Anne McConville, Jenny Darsley
* indicates someone learned to row at Cantabs
