Andrew Byrnes '05 (front row, second from left) and his teammates celebrate winning the silver medal at the World Championships in Poznan, Poland. (Rowing Canada Aviron photo)

POZNAN, Poland -- Bates College graduate Andrew Byrnes '05 and his teammates on the Candian men's eight captured the silver medal at the World Rowing Championships on Sunday, Aug. 30 at Malta Lake.

Germany won in 5:24.13, Canada clocked in at 5:27.15 and the Netherlands (5:28.32) edged the home country men's eight for the bronze by just .08 of a second.

Only Byrnes and one other teammate, Malcolm Howard, were among the rowers who also rowed to a gold medal for Canada in the men's eights at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.

"It was nice to get a silver medal in the eight," coach Mike Spracklen, who oversees the men's eight and the lightweight doubles for the Canadian team, told Rowing Canada. "If you asked me three months ago I would have not predicted that would happen. There are a lot of new guys."

The eight is Mark Laidlaw of Mississauga, Ont., Derek O'Farrell of Unionville, Ont., James Dunaway of Duncan, BC, Malcolm Howard of Victoria, BC, Byrnes of Toronto, Ont., Doug Csima of Oakville, Ont., Gabe Bergen of 100 Mile House, B.C., and Rob Gibson of Kingston, Ont., and VanKnotsenburg of Beamsville, Ont.