Rowing: Rowers pull hard

Nov 28 2007 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

MORE than 350 youngsters put their backs into it at the first Welsh Schools Indoor Rowing Championships, helped by Olympic legend Steve Redgrave, writes Nick Hartland.

The five-time gold medallist’s trust has seen five new £1,000 Concept rowing machines installed in Cardiff secondary schools, and the effort at Cardiff Bay’s Water Activity Centre showed pupils have been working hard on their new ergometers.

Zak Lee-Green of Ysgol Plasmawr, Fairwater, took the boys’ under-18 title in six minutes 50 seconds, with Howells pupils Joseph Roach (6.54) and Spencer Williams (7.10) in silver and bronze.

Asa Murray, of Westbourne House, covered the 2,000m rowing machine distance in 6.53 to lift the under-16 title from Jason Roberts, of St Illtyd’s High (7.11), and Sion Cronin (7.16), while Rumney High School’s Jonathan Pengelly took under-15 gold, covering 1,379m in five minutes, from Willows’ Daniel Gallagher in silver and Rumney’s Matthew Wozencroft in bronze.

St Teilo’s Matthew Hnatiw, son of Welsh rowing team manager Mike, won the under-14 crown, racing 1,100m in four minutes to beat Whitchurch’s Ben Simmons into second and St Illtyd’s Jacob Smith into third.

Jacob Allen of Bishop of Llandaff was top under-13 with 776m in three minutes, ahead of Whitchurch’s Jack Maguire and Ysgol Dyffryn Taf Carmarthen’s William Boyd, and best under-12 was St Illtyd’s Kieran Pacheco (480m in two minutes) from Whitchurch’s Aaron Campbell and Rumney High’s Robert Lewis.

Top girl was Plasmawr’s Megan John who landed under-16 gold in 8.21 from St Teilo’s Catrin Hnatiw (8.49) and Plasmawr’s Megan Jones (8.57).

Ysgol Glantaf’s Hollie Edwards landed the under-15 title with 1,225m in five minutes from Etienne Mensah in silver and Dyffryn Taf’s Franciesca Edwards in bronze, and Plasmawr’s Ffion Edmunds took under-14 gold with 986m in four minutes from Cherie Bessant and St Illtyd’s Sophia Callow.

The under-13/under-12 races were dominated by Whitchurch and St Illtyd’s.

The latter’s Lauren Davies took the older class with 723m in three minutes, with Whitchurch’s Ella Jackson in silver splitting her from classmate Rachel Edmunds in third.

Whitchurch’s Hollie Taylor landed under-12 gold (505m in two minutes) from Illtyd duo Laurice Burnett and Chloe O'Donnell.

Cardiff Harbour Authority’s award for most successful school went to St Illtyd’s, with Whitchurch High in second and Ysgol Plasmawr third.

Team results:

Under-16 Boys – St llltyd’s, Glantaf, Plasmawr.

Under-15 Boys – Rumney, St Illtyd’s Plasmawr.

Under-14 Boys – Whitchurch, Glantaf, St Illtyd’s.

Under-13 Boys – Bishop of Llandaff, Whitchurch, Dyffryn.

Under-12 Boys – Whitchurch, St Illtyd’s, Rumney.

Under-16 Girls – Plasmawr, Fitzalan High, Plasmawr.

Under-15 Girls – Glantaf, St Illtyd’s Fitzalan High.

Under-14 Girls – Plasmawr, St Illtyd’s, Duffryn Taf.

Under-13 Girls – St Illtyd’s, Dyffryn Taf, Plasmawr.

Under-12 Girls – Whitchurch, St Illtyd’s.