There are not many high schools anywhere in the world, if any, that could produce an alumni rowing eight featuring three Olympic gold medallists as well as three Olympic silver medallists.
That鈥檚 the starry assemblage that will take to the waters of Mill Bay today in a Brentwood College alumni crew. It will feature Malcolm Howard (gold Bejing 2008, silver London 2012), Darren Barber (gold Barcelona 1992), Blair Horn (gold Los Angeles 1984) and Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen (both silver Beijing 2008).
The other alumni rowing in the Brentwood boat will be Dave Ross, Spencer Crowley, former world champion Pat Walter and coxswain Tan Barkley. Honourary crew members are Marius Felix and Kevin White. Between them, the crew members have 17 Olympic appearances.
Brentwood College has produced 22 Olympic rowers in its history, and 23 Olympians in total, including field-hockey player Connor Grimes. London 2012 was the 10th consecutive Summer Olympics in which Brentwood College alumni participated.
When Rick Mercer aired a Mercer Report segment from Brentwood College, on CBC in 2011, he said: 鈥淚f this school was a country, it would have ranked 54th at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.鈥�
It鈥檚 that deep rowing pedigree that is being honoured today at the second annual Brentwood College versus Shawnigan Lake School Rowing Duel. The men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 varsity eight races begin at 12:40聽p.m., with the alumni race to follow. Two new shells are being christened: the John Queen II and AC聽Carr VI in honour of Brentwood coaches John Queen and Tony Carr.
