VICTORIA - The University of Victoria men's rowing team opens the 2025-26 season Oct. 4 at the Western Canadian University Rowing Championships in Burnaby, B.C. The event serves as a primer for the Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) and an opportunity for novice and reserve athletes to test themselves against their West Coast rivals.
The Vikes are coming off a strong showing in 2024, where they finished fourth overall at the CURC while capturing five medals in six events. Leading the way was
Giancarlo DiPompeo, who collected three medals on the national stage and was later recognized as Rowing BC Athlete of the Year and Rowing Canada U23 Athlete of the Year.
Head coach Aalbert Van Schothorst enters his 12th season at the helm in 2025-26.
From the coach's desk:
"The program's got excellent momentum. We took a step forward in the Brown Cup last year. We didn't get the results we were looking for, but I think the focus and energy were in the right place. We took a significant step forward this summer with several athletes who competed internationally in various races, including the Royal Henley Regatta, Canada Cup, and Canadian Henley. There is a lot of exposure to different racing experiences, which has been one of the themes we've been working towards. And coming into the fall, I think that all of the work that was done over the summer is showing up, and so it is quite promising for the fall," said head coach Van Schothorst.
Key returners
Giancarlo DiPompeo
A fourth-year standout, DiPompeo is one of the most decorated athletes in Canadian university rowing. He enters the season as the reigning Rowing Canada U23 Male Athlete of the Year and Rowing BC Athlete of the Year. Last fall, he won silver in the lightweight 1x and added two bronzes in the 2x and 4+ at CURC, while also racing in the Varsity 8+ at Brown Cup. His summer included wins at the Elk Lake Spring Regatta and further international competition, making him a cornerstone of the Vikes program.
Other key lightweights to watch include
Louis Ferraro,
Max Schiller, and
Oliver Howard Batek. Ferraro, a third-year from Calgary, collected multiple CURC bronze medals last year and is highly regarded for both his technical skill and leadership, balancing his role as a Vike with coaching duties at the Claremont Sports Institute. Schiller is an athlete knocking at the door of greatness, and according to Van Schothorst has matured into a leadership role now in his third season.
Simon Whittacker
The Toronto product had a breakthrough summer, highlighted by gold at the Canadian Henley Regatta in the U23 2-, where they won the Bennet-Hogan Trophy. Now in his third season, Whittacker looks ready to play a bigger role in the Vikes point-scoring boats.
Heavyweight depth
The men's heavyweight 8+ will once again be a focus this fall, with
Gabe Dyer,
Conor Dillon, and
Calum Murphy returning as key contributors. According to Van Schothorst, the trio possesses unbelievable humility, hunger, and an ability to absorb information, as well as sheer coachability and a willingness to work for each other. "They're all hungry for an international result, and they're all hungry to represent Canada," said Van Schothorst.
Daniel Mielecki adds further power to the heavyweight group. Standing 6'8", Mielecki is coming off representing Canada at the U23 World Rowing Championships and recently broke UVic's all-time 2km erg record with a blistering 5:55, surpassing Olympian Kai Langerfeld's 12-year-old record. Entering his first fully healthy season, he is poised to be a game-changing force.
Newcomers to watch
UVic's novice program continues to produce talent, with athletes such as
Drew Timlin,
Dominik Crnjak, and
Thomas Boruta already making an impact on the varsity squad. A notable addition this year is Henry Lindig, a product of Germany and the Claremont Secondary Sports Institute, who is an exciting talent that could break into the varsity lineup sooner rather than later.
REGATTA INFORMATION
Western Canadian University Rowing Championship
Saturday, October 4
Burnaby Lake, Burnaby
Results
