Newport Rowing Club took a large squad of young rowers to the recent Itchen Imperial junior regatta in Southampton and were rewarded with several encouraging performances and a victory on the water.
The club’s current crop of juniors competed in age group categories in single, double and quadruple sculls, with the J14 boys quad of Toby Lucas, Finley Bamlett, Toby Batchelor, Dominic Batchelor and coxswain Emily Oatley convincingly winning their heat, before going on to record a narrow victory over local rivals Ryde Rowing Club.
Newport also fielded a J16 boys quad, consisting of Oliver Bennett, Alex Hicks, Ollie Coulson, Charlie Lallow (the latter 2 both competing for the recently formed Ryde School Boat Club) and coxswain Emily Oatley. Alex Hicks and Oliver Bennett also competed in the single sculls event, while Oliver Bennett and Ollie Coulson teamed up in the J16 double sculls.
In the girls events, Emily Oatley and Millie Gomm took to the water in the J16 double sculls and then teamed up with crew mates Bethay Walpole and Nelle Findley to compete in the J16 quad.
Newport coaches were very impressed with how their young athletes acquitted themselves, both on and off the water and are encouraged for the competitive prospects of an ever growing junior squad for the 2017 season.
