Henley athletes win gold at junior championships

HENLEY Rowing Club crews came away with two gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the British Junior Championships on the multi lane course in Nottingham.

This three-day event, run from Friday to Sunday, was the last in the domestic season for the junior crews.

Friday was solely for J14 crews who started the day with a 950m time trial, from which the Henley girls were successful in getting a crew in the A, B, C and D finals.

The crew of Yasmin Lakatos, Anya Marston, Caitlin Swinburn, Gabby Chaplin and cox Eleanor Taylor had a good race over the 1,000m course, beating Wallingford RC by just over half a length in the D final. The crew in the C final came fifth and the B final fourth, with the A final being won by Henley’s Lucy Jones, Ailish Harkin, Nonnie Luke, Eyla Wild and cox Fran Whittle.

Saturday and Sunday saw the older crews racing, starting on Saturday with a 1,500 metre time trial followed by minor finals then on Sunday the A and B semi-finals and finals.

Saturday’s Time trial was held in difficult conditions with a strong head wind creating standing waves breaking over the boats and for some torrential downpours where also thrown in. Eleven Henley crews progressed from the time trial to the AB semi-finals. Nine crews then progressed to the A finals to put themselves in chance of a medal.

The WJ16 4x of Georgie Pollard, Izzy Cotten, Della Luke, and Holly Cookson have had a good season but on this occasion a composite crew from Isle of Ely and Rob Roy Rowing Clubs had to settle for silver but as a non composite crew took home the plaque for club champions. Next up were the boys of Luke Marshall, Grant Taylor, Euan Turnell, James Swinburn, swapping from their usual sculling to race in coxless fours. The final was only the crew’s third outing in a sweep boat where they earned a bronze medal.

The second gold medal of the championships for Henley came from the girls eight of Hannah Hills, Riley Butcher, Charlotte Rowley, Amber Weller, Millie Guida, Charlotte Williams, Carla Russell, Phoebe Fletcher with cox Madison Sturgess who had a very convincing win finishing more than 12 seconds ahead of second place Lea RC.

Racing up an age group in WJ16 fours the J15 girls of Natalie Schoemakers, Laoise O’Donohue, Josie Sawbridge, Mia Vickerman, and cox Daisy Rolston, took an early lead in their final. However, a strong head wind prevented them holding this against the older stronger girls from Marlow and Lea rowing clubs and the Henley girls took a bronze medal.

Also racing up an age group was the successful WJ14 crew from Friday of Lucy Jones, Ailish Harkin, Nonnie Luke, Eyla Wild and Cox Fran Whittle in the WJ15 quads event. The final saw them have their toughest race of the season as they led from the start until 1,000m where Trentham BC squeezed past, holding off crews from Marlow and Trafford RC, the Henley girls grabbed silver by three-quarters of a length.

The last Henley medal of the championships went to the J18 boys quad of Ollie Taylor, John Yolland, James Wallace and Sam Beattie. In an exiting final Henley led at halfway and only four seconds separated the top five boats at the finish line the Henley boat had to settle for the bronze medal being pipped on the line by Gloucester Hartpury and Clydesdale rowing clubs.