A great day at the National Junior Schools Indoor Rowing Championships saw 18 students represent the school at the Copper Box Area, in the Olympic Park in London last Friday. The biggest Junior event in the country, over 2000 competitors come far and wide to contest their race distance against the 'best of the best'. Racing side by side against the rest in the country could be a daunting prospective....but not to our crack team, many of whom have been training hard at our indoor club since September and recently won the IOW Schools event.  

Deservedly, we achieved FIVE top ten places in some very large fields, with Alfie Saunders just missing out on a Bronze medal in 4th place, Connie B-S in 6th, and Rosie L obliterating her PB to chase in a very close finish in 8th. Our Junior relay teams battled it out, matching top rowing schools stroke for stroke. Our Girls team of Layla K, Izzy B, Connie and Rosie finished in 6th place and our boys team of Alfie, Freddie L, Michael M and Stanley P claimed 9th spot. 

In fields of over 70 teams, it was great to see our Junior Girls B team of Ava L, Laura L, Nico G and Zuzannah B finished 37th and our Senior Girls team of Evie S, Freya J, Amelia C and Evie C had a great race to finish 23rd overall

Whilst not finishing in the top 10, we were delighted with the performances of the rest of the team, demonstrating a massive trajectory of improvement, for some in their first taste of an indoor rowing event, let alone the biggest in the country! Well done to Layla (21st ) Izzy ( 167th ), Isaac (24th) and Matthew (43rd) Freddie (22nd) and Michael (66th), Evie ( 58th ) and Freya (64th ) Laura (37th) , Zuzannah  (93rd), Amelia (137th) Ava (148th) and Nico (176th).

One always wishes to perform at their very best under the spotlight in events of this scale so a special mention to the following athletes who all smashed their Personal best times: Rosie L, Laura L, Matthew M, Nico G, Matthew M and Freya J.

Well done to all athletes !

If anyone is interested in rowing - please come along to Indoor rowing club on a friday in the LA suite in the Sports centre and/ or see Mrs Walters about trying out the real thing on the water. Shanklin Sandown Rowing club are hosting a British Rowing collaborative event on Friday March 28th (Good Friday) -click here to see our website and posters for more information.