The WA State Canoe Sprint Championships were held last weekend with a host of WAIS athletes setting PBs along the way to state titles.
The event was arguably the most competitive State Championship in WA history with as many as 20 interstate athletes flying across to compete. The men’s 200m was very strong with all but one of the top 10 paddlers in the country in attendance.
Unsurprisingly the men’s 200m K1 was the most hotly contested race with Brodie Holmes (Sorrento) having the best race of his life to defeat current Australian Champion and London Olympian Steve Bird (Doubleview) with fellow Olympian Jesse Phillips (Doubleview) narrowly back in third. Holmes beat his PB by about 0.4 sec to win in 35.30sec.
In the absence of Phillips and Bird in the men’s K2 200m Holmes with partner Todd Brewer (Vic Park) had an emphatic win by over a boat length from Brendan Rice (Duncraig) and former WAIS athlete Reece Baker, with the remaining interstate field behind. Holmes and Brewer broke 33sec for the first time in recording 32.80sec and are a realistic chance to finish top two at nationals.
This time last year Jaime Roberts (Bullsbrook) was a complete novice in kayak paddling, fast forward 12 months and she is now a four time state champion, headlined by a comprehensive win in the K1 200m in a personal best time of 42.25sec.
She backed this up with convincing wins in both K2 200m and 500m with partner Cat McArthur from SASI in winning times of 39.60sec and 1:47.30mins respectively. Jaymee Lee Martin (Willeton) and Phoebe George (Mt Lawley) were second in both events in a good showing that should leave them both with confidence that they can challenge for a win in K2s at the National U23 selection event next week.
The 500m K1 was a closer affair with Roberts going out hard and holding on from McArthur in the final run to the line in a time of 1:56mins. Shannon Reynolds (Wembley) smashed her PB by two seconds coming home in 1:57mins.
With most of the 200m paddlers sitting out the 1000m K1 event, it was an opportunity for former WAIS athlete Reece Baker to show that he still has it, recording a classy and nationally competitive 3:36mins with Brendan Rice one second adrift, equalling his previous PB. Baker and Rice combined to win the K2 1000m in comfortable fashion.
The 500m events were arguably the most competitive of their championship with the 1000m paddlers stepping down and the 200m paddlers stepping up, creating some exiting races. The K1 500m saw the same top three from the 200m cross the line in reverse order with Jesse Phillips winning in a personal best of 1:38mins followed by Bird and Holmes.
The K2 500m event was won by Phillips and Bird with Rice and Baker showing there could be a future in that crew if Baker were to refocus on kayaks rather than ocean racing like he has this season. In third was the crew of Holmes and Brewer.
In the men’s U18 event Alexander Graham (Mundaring) again showed he will be the one to beat at Nationals, breaking 37 seconds for the first time in recording 36.99secs to record a comfortable win.
