Walton Girls’ High School and Sixth Form Academy joined forces with three other Grantham schools for the annual National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships at Enfield last Friday.
Walton combined with Priory Ruskin Academy, King’s School and Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, along with Newark Rowing Club.
They were among more than 2,200 Year 7 to 13 competitors from all over the UK and the atmosphere was electric with more than 120 Concept2 rowing machines going at any one time and spectators screaming encouragement. Also in attendance were members of this year’s Oxford and Cambridge boat race crews and 2012 Olympic doubles gold medallist Catherine Granger.
Local individual stars on the day were George Mitchell (Priory/Newark RC) who achieved third place and the bronze medal in Year 11, with Ashley Cowley (King’s/Newark RC) finishing fourth. Rowena Price (KGGS/Newark RC) finished fifth in the Year 12 girls.
The Boat Race Relay A Team consisted of Walton’s Steph Hennessy and Georgia Powell along with KGGS/Newark Rowing Club’s Jenna Draycott, Hannah Fulton, Katie Mcloughlin, Gabrielle Price, Rowena Price and Harriet Swindells. They had a demanding and exhausting race, dipping in and out of first and second places in their heats, eventually gaining fifth place overall with a fantastic time of 23.23.9min. The B Team of Walton’s Abbie Byron, Nina Giraffa, Kyra Greetham, Beth Hennessy, Gwen James, Amy Newell and Poppy Thorpe, along with Meggan Pepper representing KGGS/Newark RC, achieved a creditable 31st place in a time of 26.51.8.
Full individual results (competitor numbers in brackets): Yr 7 - Beth Hennessy 120th (207); Yr 8 - Jenna Draycott 6th, Katie McLoughlin 7th, Abbie Byron 35th, Poppy Thorpe 162nd (239); Yr 9 - Sophie Eaves 8th, Gabrielle Price 17th, Georgia Powell 43rd, Meggan Pepper 63rd, Nina Giraffa 105th, Lucy Kitchen 107th, Esme Lockyer 115th, Amy Newell 144th, Kyra Greetham 170th, Gwen James 175th, Steph Hennessy DNS (204); Yr 10 - Hannah Fulton 71st, Tilly Foster 83rd, Harriet Swindells DNF (169); Yr 11 - George Mitchell 3rd, Ashley Cowley 4th (100); Yr 12 - Rowena Price 5th (47).
+ The next indoor rowing competition for Kesteven District Schools will be held at Priory Ruskin Academy on April 18.
A Team are, from left – Katie Mcloughlin, Gabrielle Price, Harriet Swindells, Hannah Fulton, Jenna Draycott and Rowena Price; front – Steph Hennessy and Georgia Powell.
B Team are, from left – Amy Newell, Kyra Greetham, Meggan Pepper, Abbie Byron, Poppy Thorpe and Nina Giraffa; front – Gwen James and Beth Hennessy.