By DAVID COULTER

Published at 09:11, Monday, 23 July 2012

THE girls from Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS) Rowing Club returned from the National Rowing Championships with medals around their necks.

Both the women’s U14 coxed quad and the women’s’ U16 coxless quad earned bronze medals in the prestigious championships held at the 2000m course at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham.

With large entries, competitors needed to be split into many time trials, heats, semi-finals, repechages before even reaching the finals, with seven crews heading from the Hexham school.

Making the first final featuring QEHS rowers was the coxed crew of Harriet Aubrook, Amy Bowman, Milly Dickinson, Lucy Ryan and cox Michael Veitch, after qualifying as the fastest semi-finalist just one second off the course record.

Crews from Walton and Henley had been slightly slower in the semis but the final saw all three crews battling for the medal positions, with the Hexham girls finishing in third place to scoop the medals.

It was then the turn of Nicola Charlton, Marie McLoughlin, Fran Ronan and Robyn Dodwell in the coxless final and they were neck and neck with third placed York at the 500m mark.

After overtaking their rivals, disaster struck when Fran caught her blade on a buoy and injured her knee as it flew out of her hand.

However, she and the rest of the team recovered well and somehow found a burst of energy to take third place behind an Eton/Marlow composite and Trent Rowing Club.

There was another QEHS representative in a final when Tom Nixon, who had been competing in an eight with boys from Durham Amateur Rowing Club, was selected to compete in the U16 men’s coxed four.

Despite an enormous effort from Tom and his crew mates, they missed out on third place by just 0.7 seconds.

The coaches at QEHS were delighted with all seven crews at the championships, particularly as high water levels due to the constant downpours has led to the cancellation of many regattas and training sessions throughout the season.

Following the end of the campaign, coach Paul Higgins thanked serving captains Natercia Correia and Dan Humble for their hard work during their year in office and announced Marie McLoughlin and Tom Nixon as the new captains.

There is no real break for QEHS this year as they are sending a substantial squad to Durham’s Olympic Launch Event on July 28.

Training will then begin for next year on Monday, August 6, at 10am, continuing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the school summer holidays.

Any juniors, Year 8 and above in Tynedale, who would like to row are welcome to attend Tyne Green.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk