Last updated on the 10th of Jan 2006

Great Results for Penwith School Rowers at the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships

 

On Sunday 4th December, a group of 14 keen young rowers involved in the Penwith Schools Rowing Project travelled to Cardiff with the Penwith Sports Partnership, to compete in the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships.  The pupils from Mounts Bay School and Cape Cornwall School had a fantastic weekend coming away with 4 individual medals and 2 team medals.

 

Eight Year 7 pupils from Mounts Bay School competed in the 2 minute sprint race.  Sam Breeze and Ross Williams both raced exceptionally well in the Boys section producing personal best times.  The girls were up against some strong competition but all raced well.  Jade Sedgeman, competing for the first time, pulled a fantastic 421m narrowly missing Bronze but Amy Richards was the star of the race romping home with a Silver Medal with a personal best race distance of 448m.

 

The Year 8, 3 minute sprint race proved to be very exciting with Chris Nicolas from Cape Cornwall School dominating the race. Chris pulled an explosive start and maintained a confident lead throughout to win Gold Medal position, finishing with a fantastic distance of 799m.  Mounts Bay School pupil, Ben Robinson’s commitment to training paid off as he rowed with discipline and great technique to achieve a well deserved Bronze Medal with a race distance of 751m. 

 

The Year 9, 4 minute girl’s race, a more endurance based race, saw Sam Dennis from Mounts Bay School facing 19 other female competitors from various schools and rowing clubs.  Sam has been training hard in both the junior and senior sections of Mounts Bay Pilot Gig Club and has gained valuable experience in race conditions.  Sam rowed with quality and discipline, completely focused on her race plan, to achieve a thoroughly well deserved Silver Medal and a personal best race distance of 1030m. 

 

The race of the day however, was the adrenaline fuelled 2000m junior team race. Sam Breeze, Chris Nicholas, Logan Anderton and Sam Dennis formed the “Hotshots” and had the race of their lives.  The last 700m saw Chris Nicholas stream through the field to lie neck and neck with the Bronze position of the Year 10 and 11 teams in the racing category above!!!  Chris drove every stroke home, showing tremendous power and determination to beat the opposing team by a fraction of a second, not only achieving a superb Gold Medal position for the team but proving their strength against rowers 2 to 3 years older than them.  “The Penzance Panthers” comprising of Ben Robinson, Rachel Clarke , Verity Freethy, Eve Matthews and Jade Sedgeman also showed great team work to achieve Bronze position. 

 

The organisers of the Welsh Competition were extremely impressed with the great sportsmanship and high rowing standard of the Penwith Schools junior rowers and have personally invited the rowers to return in 2006 to enjoy more racing.

 

Each School in Penwith is now linked to a local gig club with club coaches running after school indoor rowing clubs at their respective schools.  St Ives School will be hosting the next Penwith Schools Indoor Rowing Competition on February 14th 2006; details will be issued shortly.  For more information, contact Helen Bowkett, Outdoor Education Community Coach on 01736 352323 or email hb@mounts-bay.cornwall.sch.uk.

 

Full Results:  

 

Year 7 - 2 min boys race : 4th Sam Breeze 472m (Mounts Bay School), 5th Ross Williams 464m (Mounts Bay School)

 

Year 7 - 2 min girls race : 2nd Amy Richards 448m (Mounts Bay School), 4th Jade Sedgeman 464m (Mounts Bay School), = 7th Eve Matthews 408m (Mounts Bay School), = 7th Grace Mitchell (Mounts Bay School), 10th Tessa Trudgeon 392m (Mounts Bay School), 11th Verity Freethy 377m (Mounts Bay School)

Year 8 - 3 min boys race: 1st Chris Nicholas 799m (Cape Cornwall School), 3rd Ben Robinson 751m (Mounts Bay School)

 

Year 8 - 3 min girls race: 4th Rachel Clarke 675m (Mounts Bay School), 5th Emily Gilbert 672m (Mounts Bay School)

 

Year 9 – 4 min girls race: 2nd Sam Dennis 1030m (Mounts Bay School)

 

2000m Team race:  1st - Sam Breeze, Chris Nicholas, Sam Dennis, Logan Anderton; 3rd – Ben Robinson, Rachel Clarke, Verity Freethy, Eve Matthews, Jade Sedgeman; 4th – Ross Williams, Emily Gilbert, Grace Mitchell, Tessa Trudgeon, Amy Richards.