Queen's Rowing returns to the water for their first competition of the 2022 season on Oct. 1 with the Head of the Trent regatta.
 
Queen's Rowing Head Coach Katie Bruggeling, who is back with the team after being off last year, said the team can't wait to get back in the boats in a race setting.
 
"The team is really excited to be back in full swing," said Bruggeling. "There is definitely a lot of positive energy on the team combined with a good level of focus."
 
The Gaels graduated Gavin Stone, who last year was named the OUA Male Rower of the Year after competing in the Tokyo Summer Olympics, but have a number of national and international competitors returning this season.
 
Andrew Hubbard, Shaye de Paiva, and Claire Ellison were all named to Canada's NextGen National team this summer, while Ceilidh MacDonald joined the team as a non-travelling spare.
 
Bruggeling said there's a strong group of rowers that are ready to step up for the Gaels this season.
 
"We have a solid group that's coming into third and fourth year now. They are starting to show some leadership and will be big contributors to the team."
 
After their season-opening regatta at Trent, Queen's Rowing will be competing in the Brock Invitational in St. Catharines, Ont. on Oct. 15. The OUA Championship runs from Oct. 28-29 in Welland, Ont. and the Canadian University Rowing Championship will take place from Nov. 5-6. Bruggeling said the team's main focus is to get better every day rather than key on results too early into the year.
 
"We are process oriented, we haven't even talked about results yet. We just focus on the process and doing everything right leading up to the championship. Results goals, the outcome goals, haven't been even spoken about yet."
 
The team does have goals off the water, however. Bruggeling said the team has already began to schedule their objectives for campus and community work for the season.
 
"The team recently received a grant from Rowing Canada to help us bring rowing to different communities around campus. The team executive is beginning to take some leadership in diversity and inclusion, and we're working on getting this programming running in the winter months."
 
Queen's Rowing finished third overall in the OUA Championship and fourth overall nationally last year. Bruggeling said the results will come, and what a successful season looks like is strong development for the student-athletes.
 
"This season we're working to support one another and level up as a team. That means, every day, in and out of the boat, we're focused, committed, and moving forward together."