Image Credit – Rowing Australia
Vying for the U19 Single Scull national title, the 31 athletes competing in the U19 Single Scull will take each other on in order to be crowned National Champion of this event for 2025. It is a competitive age group, with a combination of the top school-aged athletes facing off to bring home a medal, and the entrants this year bring some exceptional talent with them.
Henry Maning – Friends Rowing Club
Tasmanian local Henry Maning is no stranger to racing in the beautiful atmosphere of Lake Barrington. Having recently won a gold at the Tasmanian State Championships in the U19 Men’s Single, Maning will be well placed as he takes on this national field at his homeground. He has had a great season so far, finishing up the NSW State Championships with a bronze in the U19 Men’s Single Scull and a gold in the Schoolboy single, and is well versed in the competitive field that nationals will present. It will be a great opportunity for this young athlete to once again race against national competition, and we should see a phenomenal race from him.
Cameron Schmidt – Canberra Grammar
Hailing from ACT, Cameron Schmidt well and truly ensured he took the NSW schoolboy rowing scene by storm when he brought home the silver medal in the schoolboy single at the NSW State Championships. With a dominant first 500m, Schmidt held onto the silver with a fairly impressive gap between himself and the bronze medalist, finishing behind Maning. Also a keen sweep oarsman, Schmidt is a member of the Canberra Grammar School’s first four and first eight, bringing home golds in both at the 2025 NSW Schoolboy Head of the River. A prominent athlete, Schmidt should perform exceedingly well in this category, and will provide some tough competition.
Ollie Dowling – Scotch Oakburn
Another athlete used to the rough and tumble that Lake Barrington can provide, Ollie Dowling will be lining up on race day with confidence following his season performance. Racing to second place in the schoolboy single at the Tasmanian Head of the River with a convincing over his bronze medal competition, Dowling is also a keen sweeper and in the first eight at Scotch Oakburn. Dowling will be looking to use his knowledge of Lake Barrington to his advantage on race day, and knowing how to handle tough conditions may come to prove fruitful if Lake Barrington puts on a windy show.
Eoghan Johnson – Brisbane State High School
Bringing some sunshine to Tasmania, QLD athlete Eoghan Johnson has obtained some hard-earned silverware this season. With an exceptionally competitive race progression at the QLD State Championships consisting of 55 athletes, Johnson won both his heat and his semi-final in very fast times, finishing in the second in the final race. Additionally, he also brought home a bronze in the U19 Men’s Four, rounding off a prominent State Championship performance. It takes some guts to knock out over 50 other athletes from a podium finish, and Johnson will need to bring those on race day if he wants to take home a medal in this category.
Prediction
With so many phenomenal athletes in the U19 Single Scull, I would expect that the racing will be fast and intense. There is a great mix of rowers vying for the national title this year, and the top-level talent will mean that it won’t be an easy trip to the top of the podium. I expect that we’ll see Maning take this spot, followed very closely by Johnson. The competition for bronze will be equally as intense, but I think that following such a great season, Schmidt will take this spot just ahead of Dowling, who will race a great race for fourth. These four athletes should finish this race within seconds of each other, and I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a relatively decent gap between these four and the rest of the field.
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