2009 Heavyweight Men

Men's eight, men's pair and coxed pair

Coaches: Mike Spracklen, Allison Dobb and Terry Paul

VANKNOTSENBURG Steven (bow)
BERGEN Gabriel
GIBSON Robert
CSIMA Douglas
HOWARD Malcolm
BYRNES Andrew
DUNAWAY James
O'FARRELL Derek
LAIDLAW Mark (cox)

Steven van Knotsenburg

Date of Birth: Feb. 21, 1982
Home town: Beamsville, Ontario
Rowing Club: Ridley Graduate Boat Club
Education :  Brown University, Providence, RI, USA (Biology)

National Team results:

2009 - 2nd World Cup III , Lucerne, Switzerland, M8+
2009 - 3rd World Cup I , Banyoles, Spain, M4X
2008 - 6th World Cup III , Lucerne, Switzerland, M4x
2008 - 4th National Championships 2008, London, ON, M1x
2007 - 14th World Championships 2007, Munich, Germany, M4x
2006 - 3rd National Championships 2006, Welland, Ontario, M2-
2005 - World Championships , Gifu, Japan, spare

 

Gabe Bergen

Hometown: 100 Mile House, BC
Birth date: July 6, 1982
Club affiliation: University of Victoria RC
Education: University of Victoria

Interests: Fishing, hunting, trapping, mud bogging, and square dancing.

Key results:

2009 - 2nd World Cup 3, Lucerne, Switzerland, M8+
2009 - 3rd World Cup 1, Banyoles, Spain, M4x
2008 - 1st in the M2+, World Championships
2006 - 9th in the M8+, World Championships, Eton, England
First year on national team was 2006.

Robert Gibson

Birthdate: Feb. 02, 1986
Hometown: Kingston, Ont.
Club affiliation: Kingston Rowing Club
Interests: Hockey, UW Huskies, skiing, country music, cooking, travelling.
Education: University of Washington

Key results:

2009  IRA National Champions with the University of Washington - team captain
2008 - Olympic alternate
2008 - 2nd in the 8+, Under 23 World Championships, Brandenburg, Germany
2008 - 9th in the M4-, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
2008 - Grand Challenge cup winner
2007  - IRA National Champions with the University of Washington
2006 - 2nd in the 4+, World Championships, Eton, England
2006 - 1st in the U23 Men's 8+
2004 - 3rd in the Junior Men's 4+

(James) Andrew Byrnes

Hometown: Toronto, ON
Birth date: May 22, 1983
Height: 6’7” Weight: 205 lbs.
Club affiliation: North Star Rowing Club
Interests: Skiing and the outdoors

Education: B.S. in Psychics, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine (2005); M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2006)

Key results:
2008 - 1st in the M8+, Olympic Games, Beijing, China
2008 – 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
2007 – 1st in the M8+, World Championships, Munich, Germany
2007 - 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
2007 - 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Linz, Austria
2007 – 1st in the Grand Challenge Cup in the M8+, Henley, England
2006 - 3rd in the M2+, World Championships, Eton, England
2005 - 3rd in the M8+, World Under 23 Championships, Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

Malcolm Howard

Hometown: Victoria, BC
Birth date: Feb. 7, 1983
Height: 6’6” Weight: 234 lbs.
Club affiliation: Brentwood

Education: Brentwood College, Mill Bay, BC, and Harvard University

Key results:

2008 - 1st in the M8+, Olympic Games, Beijing, China
2008 – 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
2007 – 1st in the M8+, World Championships, Munich, Germany
2007 - 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
2007 - 1st in the M8+, World Cup, Linz, Austria
2007 – 1st at the Grand Challenge Cup in the M8+, Henley, England
2006 - 2nd in the M2-, World Cup, Munich, Germany
2005 - 4th in the M2-, World Championships, Gifu, Japan
2004 - 2nd in the M4+, World Championships, Banyoles, Spain
2003 - 1st in the M8+, World Under 23 Regatta, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Other info: Undefeated against intercollegiate competition in three years as a member of Harvard's varsity eight, helping the Harvard crew to three straight national championships.

 

James Dunaway

Date of Birth: Sept. 09, 1982
Home town: Duncan, BC

Clubs: University of Victoria/Maple Bay Rowing Club

Nationa Team results:

2009 - 2nd in the men's eight (8+), - Lucerne Rotsee, Switzerland
2008 - 1st in the coxed pair (2+), World Championships, Linz Ottensheim, Austria

 

 

 

Douglas Csima

Date of Birth:  Nov. 28, 1985
Home town:  Oakville, ON
Rowing club:  Leander Boat Club, Hamilton, ON
Education: MSc Student, University of Victoria, 2010
BScN, McMaster University, 2007

National Team highlights:   

2009 - 2nd, M8+, WC3, Lucerne, 2009
2009 - 3rd, M4x, WC1, Banyoles, 2009
2008 - 1st, M2-, NRC, 2008

 

 

Derek O'Farrell

Hometown: Unionville, ON
Birth date: June 5, 1983
Club affiliation: McGill University RC
Interests: Sports, reading and movies.

Education: St. Michael’s College School, Toronto; McGill University, Montreal

Key results:
2009 - 2nd World Cup 3, Lucerne, Switzerland, M8+
2006 - 3rd in the M2+, World Championships, Eton, England
2005 - 3rd in the M8+, World Under 23 Championships, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Mark Laidlaw

Date of Birth:  Aug.31, 1985
Home town:  Mississauga, ON
Home rowing club:   Hanlan Boat Club
Education :  Upper Canada College, Toronto, ON; B. Sc. in Computer Science from University of Victoria
Interests: playing guitar, volleyball, baseball, running, cycling

National Team highlights:  
2009 - 2nd in M8, World Cup, Lucerne, SUI
2008 - 1st in men's 2+; 6th in LM8+ at Sr. Non-Olympic World Championships, Linz, AUT
2006 - 1st in M8+, World Under-23 Championships, Hazewinkel, BEL
2005 - 3rd in M8+, World Under-23 Championships, Amsterdam, NED

 

 

 

Men's pair M2-

 

Dan Casaca

Birth date: June 30, 1984
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
Club: Don Rowing Club (Mississauga, ON)
Education: University of California

Key Results:
2007 - 12th in the 2-, World Championships - Munich, Germany
2007 - 1st in the M2- Pan Am Games, Rio, Brazil - with Chris Jarvis
2006 - 1st in the M8+ U23 World Championships, Hazewinkel, Belgium.
2005 - 4th in the coxed four, World Championships, Gifu, Japan

 

 

 

Max Lang

Birthdate: March 3, 1987
Hometown: Lumby, B.C.

Education: Shawnigan Lake School and University of Washington

Key results:

2009 - 4th in the 8+, World U23 Championships - Racice, Czech Republic
2007 - 7th in the 8+, World U23 Championships. Strathclyde, Great Britain
2006 -  Coxed Four, Eton Dorney Lake, Great Britain
2006 - Gold U23 Men's 8+

 

 

 

 

Men's Coxed Pair (2+)

Jan Tize of West Vancouver, B.C.
Conlin McCabe of Brockville, Ont.
(cox) Mark Laidlaw of Mississauga, Ont.

 

 

Jan Tize

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Birth date: Feb. 06, 1986

Club: Brentwood College RC

Results:

2007 - 7th U23 World Championships - Glasgow Strathclyde, Great Britain
2006 - 1st U23 World Championships - Hazewinkel, Belgium

 

 

 

Conlin McCabe

Hometown: Brockville, ON

Birth date: Aug. 20, 1990

Club: Brockville RC

Results:

2009 - 4th in the 4- U23 World Championships - Racice, Czech Republic
2008 - 2nd in the 8+ World U-23 Regatta - Brandenburg Beetzsee, Germany
2007 - 2nd in JM2-  JWCH - Beijing Shunyi, China
2006 - 4th in the JM4+ JWCH - Amsterdam Bosbaan, Netherlands