Regional reward as boys and girls claim medals (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Regional reward as boys and girls claim medals

THERE were celebrations at Evesham Rowing Club after five of its boys crews took medals at last Sunday's Junior Inter-Regional Championships.

Eight boys and three girls' crews were selected to represent the West Midlands at the Nati-onal Watersports Centre in Nottingham.

Top of the medal positions were Rory Sullivan and Oli Staite who collected gold after treating the crowd to a thrilling Junior 15 double sculls climax against Maidenhead that was only decided by the judge.

The win was all the more impressive because, half-an-hour earlier, Staite had claimed s silver medal in the J15 single sculls after a tough battle against the current J15 British Indoor champion.

Sullivan also picked up a bronze after teaming up with Will Tew, Josh Hendry, James Crumpton and cox Dan Barnes in the J15 coxed quad event to race alongside their old adversaries from Windsor Boys' School.

Tew's bronze was his second of the day after earlier teaming up with Tom Walker to row in the J16 doubles. Once again the final promised to be a close race with little between the leaders but the Evesham duo suffered a technical hitch near the finish and had to settle for third.

The J14 coxed quad of Tom Noble, Rob Barnett, Ben Farrar and Jon Farrar, coxed by Jack Lazenby, put their all into a final that included some very strong competition from northern clubs, and came home with bronze medals.

For the girls, the J14 double of Chloe Bryan and Colleen Pen-rose made the grand final of their event but were just pipped into fourth place.

There was disappointment too for single scullers Abi Penrose and Ruth Whyman who reached their finals only to miss out on the medal positions.

The club was well represented at last weekend's Shrewsbury Regatta where several crews reached finals but it wasn't until the end of the second day that success was achieved.

While his brother was collecting gold in Nottingham, J13 Lawrence Sullivan was winning his first regatta in a double with Cameron Brodie.

The boys beat strong crews from Ross and Worcester Rowing Clubs to claim their well-deserved pewter tankards.

Jane McIntosh and Victoria Seymour won several heats of the Senior IV doubles before meeting Warwick in the final where they made it look easy when coming in three lengths ahead of their rivals.

Members will next be in action at the National Schools and Hereford City Regattas over the Bank Holiday weekend.