Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC) has cemented its dominance in schoolgirl rowing by claiming an 11th consecutive Head of the River title at Champion Lakes on Saturday. The First Eight crew's victory marked PLC's 13th overall win in the premier event, equaling the Independent Girls Schools Sports Association (IGSSA) record shared by Methodist Ladies' College (MLC). The triumph also secured PLC's 14th overall win as the Head of the River champion school and extended their streak as season premiers to 14 years.
Race Execution and Winning Time
Coached by former Great Britain Olympic coach John Gearing, the PLC crew of Milly Ahern, Ruby Davis, Ottillia Miller, Maggie Wandel, Tara Swingler, Pepper Roberts, Freya Wakefield, and Celia Rosser, alongside coxswain Laura Gillam, executed a flawless race plan under near-perfect conditions with a light cross-head wind. PLC crossed the finish line in 7 minutes and 34.6 seconds, finishing 9.33 seconds ahead of MLC. Perth College placed third, 14.91 seconds behind, while St Hilda's finished fourth, a further 28.6 seconds adrift.
Key Crew Members and Undefeated Season
Celia Rosser, PLC's captain of boats and occupant of the sixth seat, celebrated her second First Eight Head of the River victory, as did Tara Swingler. Remarkably, 17 PLC crews remained undefeated throughout the season, including the first, second, and third eights. On race day, PLC won 18 of the 31 events contested.
Early Signs of Strength
PLC demonstrated its prowess early in the day during the Old Scholars warm-up race, a traditional curtain-raiser at the Head of the River. That race featured the Penrhos 1998 Head of the River winning crew, along with Australian representatives and club rowers.
Coach and School Official Comments
“The result today was a culmination of all the hard work over many early, cold and dark mornings. The crew and whole shed should be incredibly proud of not only the achievements today but over the entire season,” said PLC head of sport Sam Maxwell. “John Gearing has only been coach for seven weeks, so we are excited about the future.”
