Medals Galore for GMSBC

Medals Galore for GMSBC on Saturday 3rd December. Members of the boat club headed west to Wycliffe Small Boats Head. This is a popular event and, given it takes place on a canal, is not prone to flooding or fast streams. With over 350 entries there was plenty of competition to test our squad.

The rowing course stretched over 2500m, which is on the short side for a Head Race, so the majority of our rowers raced in two divisions. A year or two ago, competitors would race and not hear results until much later, in some cases the next day. However, thanks to modern technology, crew times are published seconds after crossing the finishing line.

Our Year 10 Girls’ Quads were the first of our crews to pick up medals: Silver and Bronze. They were rowing in Division 2; it was a decent-sized event with 17 entries and, for a while, our two Quads held first and second place. Henley Rowing Club, starting later in this class, spoilt the one-two by just pipping our top boat, but still achieving Silver and Bronze medals is a great result. The Bronze medal crew was in fact made up of one Year 10 and four Year 9s, so a particularly impressive result.

Next was the Year 10 Boys’ Doubles, where Connor Quann and Alexander Eldridge took the Silver medal.

The Year 9 Girls’ Double of Natasha Pendlebury and Kayla Shillito went one better to take Gold.

Quickly followed by Single racer Archie Gentry, who took Silver, just 0.1 seconds off first place.

The back of Division 2 saw Charlotte Greening and Abi Forgenie take Silver in the Year 11 Doubles.

Division 3 saw no slowdown in the medal tally with Year 9 Boys’ Quads taking Gold and Silver, with our Mixed Quad coming 8th.

Lucy Platt romped home with Gold in the WJ14 1x event

The Year 10 Boys’ Quad added another Silver to their tally.

Erin Huddleston and Charlotte Greening added Bronze in the WJ182x event.

Abi Forgennie round the day off with Gold in her Single.

Mr Murison ended his report saying, “A thoroughly enjoyable and hugely successful day on a chilly December weekend.”

Many thanks to Mr Murison for this prompt write-up of the exciting outing to Wycliffe Small Boats Head and for his commitment to rowing. Thanks too to the whole support network of parents, carers and staff who make such outings possible. Finally, and importantly, congratulations to all the competitors who performed to show other boat clubs what rowing talent GMS has.

 

Medal Crews

OpJ15 2x – Alexander Eldridge and Connor Quann

WJ15 4x+ Elise Whyte, Chloe Shepard, Chloe Wilson, Natalie Quinn, Luke Reynolds (C)

WJ15 4x+ Lucy Platt, Bea Spence, Bea Radnedge, Isabelle Berger, Wilbur Morganti (C)

WJ14 2x Natasha Pendelbury, Kayla Shillito

OpJ14 1x Archie Gentry

WJ16 2x Abigail Forgenie, Charlotte Greening

OpJ15 4x+ Alexander Eldridge, Connor Quann, William Allen, Haashim Ahmed, Luke Reynold (C)

OpJ14 4x+ Ben Symon, Archie Gentry, Sam Gale, Freddie Hayday, Isabelle Berger (C)

OpJ14 4x+ Ernie Stevens, Valere Ivers-Dreux, Wilbur Morganti, Finlay Todd, Jackson Walker (C)

WJ14 1x Lucy Platt

WJ18 2x Erin Huddleston, Charlotte Greening

WJ16 1x Abigail Forgenie