STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s scullers impressed rowing at Worcester Rowing Club’s Main Head on the River Severn.
Action took place over a 4.5km distance with the event attracting top crews from the area.
Stratford’s women’s coxed four of Martha Cooke, Becca Smith, Maeve Dunn, Poppy Warren and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) were first on the water.
The squad also stepped up to compete in the senior event and delivered a fine performance to record second place in the Band 2 event just six seconds behind Cardiff University.
In Division Two, the club’s J16 coxless quadruple scull of Millie Smith, Martha Baines, Isla Dunn and Tessa Parkin finished third in their race behind City of Bristol and Hereford Cathedral School.
Stratford’s sister club, King Edward VI Boat Club (KES), also took to the water in Worcester. The 4+ squad of S. McMahon, A. Stevenson, A. Xifaras and S. Richardson were racing for KES for the first time.
With the aid of cox P. Baines, the crew enjoyed an excellent start to their rowing careers in an open event contested by university squads, from as far as Sheffield to as close as Birmingham.
Despite a three-year age gap between KES and the university crews, the squad blasted through to beat Sheffield University.
The KES crew finished the course in 16 minutes 37 seconds to place fifth.
Elsewhere, Stratford’s adaptive squad were also on the water on the Avon with Gillian Middleton undergoing an external assessment for her L2 coaches’ certificate by British Rowing.
Stratford’s head adaptive coach, Mark Dewdney said: “We are all very proud of Gillian being awarded her L2 British Rowing coaching qualification.
“Whilst the squad has had other adaptive athletes gain their L2 award, Gillian is the squad’s first homegrown disabled athlete to gain the qualification.
“Gillian’s true grit and determination got her to where she is today and she is an example to us all.”
Over in France, Stratford’s adaptive squad athlete Curtis Dickens also took part in British Rowing’s Paralympic training camp.
Dickens, who is on British Rowing’s Paralympic Pathway scheme, also hopes to earn selection for Great Britain at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
