ANU rowers had an outstanding finale to their Australian University Games campaign in Adelaide on Friday, finishing the regatta with a total of 1 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals.

In challenging cross-headwind conditions, at times gusting up to 65km/h, the ANU crews held their form to emerge as one of Australia’s leading rowing universities.

The final day started well, with the ANU men’s double scull of Dylan Conolan and David Wright winning gold in the first of the finals. The ANU double’s recent winter of strength and endurance training was clearly evident when they powered away from the field to win by a convincing 17 seconds.

The silver medals were won in the women’s pair, men’s single, men’s four and the mixed four finals. The bronze medals were in the women’s lightweight quad and the men’s eight.

The men’s eight’s bronze was ANU’s best ever result in 46 years of racing for the Oxford and Cambridge Cup for eights.

Subject to confirmation by Australian University Sport, the combined results placed ANU second of the 21 competing universities in the overall regatta point score for the Centenary Trophy, just behind first placed Adelaide University and ahead of the big-budget Sydney and Melbourne University rowing programs.

The result is a tribute to the ANU Boat Club’s coaching team, in particular Katrina and Andrew Mackenzie, Renae Domaschenz, Ben Adams, Tom Watkins, Chris Lethbridge and Kent Weyand, and team manager Anthony Pardy.