The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Peterborough City are Head masters on the River Nene
Peterborough City Rowing Club certainly made home advantage count at their annual Peterborough Head of the Nene as they picked up a total of 10 wins and eight second places.
The event took place on Saturday with the eights racing over a 5,000-metre course and the smaller boats racing over 2,500 metres.
In the singles, City did very well.
James Plumb set the ball rolling with victory in the Men’s Band 1 singles, where he won by a margin of 10 seconds from a Cambridge rower, and then his sister, Camilla Plumb, had a similar result in the women’s Band 1 singles. She finished nine seconds clear of club colleague Anna Robotham.
In the Masters singles, Tim Ellis flew down the course to win by over 30 seconds from a York St John oarsman and finish over a minute ahead of third place.
Junior sculler George Woodall scored his first ever singles victory, storming home 20 seconds clear of his nearest rival from Boston Rowing Club.
There were more promising results from the juniors with Grace Niklasson and Lucy Ralphs winning the Women’s J15 doubles by 20 seconds, and Natalie Bicknell and Charlotte Martin winning the Women’s J16 doubles by over 20 seconds.
Finlay Ribbons and Ross Lamont had a close race in the J15 doubles, taking the honours by just two seconds from a King’s School, Ely, crew.
The Women’s coxed four of Tina Allen, Caroline Calver, Kate Read and Sarah Sheldrick achieved yet another impressive victory, winning by 30 seconds from another Peterborough four comprising Sarah Baker, Clare Dobler, Emily Hynes, Nikki Brett and cox Emma Calver.
Peterborough members also achieved wins in composite crews. Ian Palmer and Steve Cranfield joined forces with Chris Callow (Star club) and Dave Smith (Leicester) to win the Masters B coxless quads by over 40 seconds, while Keith Blackman, Jaish Mahan, Jack Ward, Jim Burt, Steve Tuck and cox Ericha KnowlesPardoe were in the successful Masters D eight that won their event by an impressive two and a half minutes from Loughborough Boat Club.
The J16 junior quad of Callum Gilbey, Ted Smith, Thomas Bodily and Thomas Jackson raced for time only and got the fastest time of the day over the 2.5 kilometre course of 9.49.
Second places for Peterborough City came from:
Anna Robotham (Women’s singles); Connor Mumford, Damen Sanderson, Mike King, Chris Elder (Open coxless fours); George Nash, George Woodall, Iain Cameron, Neil Elder, Steve Ackerman, Kenny Low, Tim J-Harris, James Baile and cox Tom Calver (Men’s coxed eights); Ian Davis and Pete Dolby (Masters E doubles); Joan Heath and Anita Carter (Women’s Masters E doubles) ; Lily-Rose Mace and Nia Griffiths (Women’s doubles); Sarah Baker, Clare Dobler, Emily Hynes, Nikki Brett and cox Emma Calver (Women’s coxed four) ; Anita Carter, Helen Wallace, Gail Parker, Bridge Lloyd, Sally Horrocks, Angela Holohan Liz Pulford, Hayley Marsters and cox Tracey Rushton-Thorpe (Leicester and Peterborough composite Women’s Masters D coxed eights). Netherton United are holding trials for students aged 16 and over interested in joing their Academy in September.
The Academy is run by One Touch Football and students study for a BTEC Level 2 or Level 3 in sports development while training on a daily basis.
The trials will be taking place at Netherton Utd FC, The Grange, Peterborough, PE9 3ES, on Tuesday February 19 (1pm-3pm) and anyone interested can register at www.onetouchfootball.co.uk