STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s junior squad began the new rowing season at the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls.
The club’s J15 squad took on the 4,000m long course for the first time following the cancellation of last year’s event.
Stratford’s J15 coxed quadruple scull of Connor Birrell, Nathan Lebordais, Herbie Shickle, Tristan Hammick and Charlotte Mansfield (coxswain) finished in fourth place.
And the WJ15 coxed quadruple scull of Abi Dunn, Meredith Paul, Lillian Parsons, Scarlett Wheeler and Raya Hothi (coxswain) completed the course in seventh place.
Over the shorter 1,800m course, Stratford’s WJ15 double scull of Martina Bruce and Raya Hoth produced a solid third-place finish.
And Stratford’s Reuben Stanford claimed a race win in the J15 single scull event against scullers from Henley Rowing Club and Thames Scullers.
Stratford’s J16 squad competed over the long course in Division Three as Erin Appleton and Orla Linforth finished fourth in the WJ16 2x event.
Single sculler Maria Ntoukaki placed 10th in the WJ16 race in a field of 30 scullers.
And the Stratford crew of Seb Happel (stroke), Will Shaw, Euan Richter and Ed Appleton (bow) finished fifth competing against high-quality opposition.
Stratford’s J16 coach, Hugo Happel said: “An excellent result for their very first coxless OJ16 4x event even though Henley finally won the event.”
Stratford’s J17 and J18 squad also saw plenty of action with the club fielding two crews in the coxless quadruple sculls.
The crew of Martha Baines, Alexandra Francis, Tessa Parkin and Poppy Baines finished fourth while Martha Cooke, Millie Smith, Sophie Evans and Isla Dunn placed sixth.
And the OpJ18 double scull of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak recorded a second-place finish in their race while Maeve Dunn placed 27th in the WJ17 single scull event.
Francis then place fourth of 28 rowers in the WJ18 single scull race while Sissins-Roffey and Vondrak rowed up in the senior event and finished 10th and 13th respectively.
Stratford fielded two crews in the WJ18 double sculls with Cooke and Smith eighth and Evans and Dunn 11th overall.
The coxless quadruple scull of P Baines, Dunn, M Baines and Parking also rowed up at senior level – taking on three crews of aspiring Team GB athletes from Leander Club – and finished seventh.
Stratford’s J17/J18 coach and junior co-ordinator, Steve Wellstead said: “All in all an excellent first head race of the season at a top class event.”
Stratford’s J14 squad also made their first outing of the season over the shorter 2km course.
The WJ14 quad of Charlotte Franklin, Eva Cruise, Islay Milles and Mary Heenan, driven by Archie Mansfield, secured a hard-fought fourth-place finish.
Stratford’s OJ14 quad of Archie Eaton, Christopher Durance, Arthur Burt and Ethan Siwakowski, with Eli Ford as cox, recorded the fastest time of all quads in their age group to come away with medals.
