STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s participation squad athlete India Hamilton won silver competing at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships in London.
India, a pupil at Stratford Girls’ Grammar School, took silver in the WJ14 four-minute event in a field of 258 other competitors at the Copper Box Arena.
Despite sitting in 21st place after the first minute, India produced a stellar final sprint to secure silver as her competitors dropped away over the course of the remaining minutes.
Elsewhere, the West Midlands Junior Rowing Championships were relocated to Hereford due to bad weather with only the junior inter-regional regatta trials taking place.
In Division One, Stratford’s women’s J14 coxed quad narrowly lost to a crew from Hereford while in Division Two, Stratford’s boys’ 4x+ and 2x both won their races to qualify for the inter-regional regatta.
Stratford’s J14 coach, Hugo Happel, said: “Well done to all athletes for leaving it all on the water.
“Despite the lack of water time due to floods at Stratford over the last couple of months, they all sculled with good technique and power with some excellent energy management. They can all be very proud.”
In the junior inter-regional regatta trial format, Stratford’s J15 squad took to the water in crew boats.
The coxed quadruple scull of Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Tessa Parkin, Sophie Franklin and Martha Cooke (coxswain) powered down the course to take the win from Hereford on their home water.
And the coxed four of Bryony Francis, Millie Smith, Becca Smith, Isla Dunn and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) also won their event in style ahead of a quality crew from Shrewsbury School.
Stratford’s women’s J16 coxless quad of Lily Warren, Alice Jones, Sophie Evans and Poppy Baines finished third after a strong sprint to the line.
And the J16 coxed four of Theo Richter, Seth Vondrak, Ollie Rowlands, James Albrighton and cox Meg Nuttall narrowly missed out on qualification despite a second-place finish.
In Division Three, Xavier Sissins-Roffey pushed past the worsening conditions to claim one of the two qualifying spots in his event.
And Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines also qualified with a fantastic one-two finish as the Stratford pair chased each other down the course.
Unfortunately, the change of venue and inclement weather meant Stratford’s J13 and J17 squads could not compete in an effort to make the organisation of the event more manageable.
