National Indoor Rowing Championships
57 students from 8 Schools within Grantham, Sleaford and Stamford, with Newark Rowing Club making up the numbers, were selected by their school/club to compete and represent Kesteven Schools Sports Association (KSSA) and South West Lincolnshire School Sports Partnership (SWLSSP) at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships, affectionately known as NJIRC (pronounced - eN Jerk) held on Tuesday 16th March at the Evolution Centre, Battersea Park, London.
Both SWLSSP and KSSA have been instrumental in this sport by introducing Indoor Rowing into our schools some four years ago and have continued to support them, in particular, PE Departments and after school curricular activities involving Indoor Rowing. The partnership extends to Newark Rowing Club and pupils have taken the opportunity to Learn to Row with Newark RC and are now racing and winning medals.
NJIRC is now the largest National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships for schools in the World. The event is organised by London Youth Rowing in partnership with XChange Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. This year saw over 2500 school boys and girls rowing as individuals, in teams of 4 boys/girls for 2000mtr Sprint Relays and teams of 8 boys/girls for the 6.780mtr Boat Race. All competitors use Concept2 Rowing Machines.
Great prizes were on offer too, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for each year group for boys and girls and for the Relays. The winning boys’ and girls’ teams won Concept2 Rowing Machines for their School or Club. For the Boat Race along with the medals the winners of the boys and the girls teams would receive “a once in a life time prize” of following the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on Sunday 29th March on the River Thames in a Power Boat Crewed by Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.
The Kesteven team produced even better results than last year. Within the first 40 minutes two Gold Medals were awarded. Boys: Yr 9 King’s and Newark Rowing Club student Luke Wren gained Gold Medal place with an outstanding row of 1213mtrs in 4mins, Heather Barnes, Newark Rowing Club also Yr 9, gained a Gold medal place with a fantastic 1050mtrs in 4mins. 43 of the students were in the top fifty and of those 19 in the top 20 places.
A total of 90 Girls 2000mtr Sprint Relay Teams competed. Kesteven and Stamford teams gained 4th, 6th, 8th, 12, and 22nd place. 84 Boys 2000mtr Relay Teams with Kesteven & Newark RC gaining 6th, 8th and 31st places. One team from Kesteven entered the Boys Boat Race Relay gaining 6th place from 17 teams.
Throughout the event two members of the GB Olympic Rowing team were on hand to offer tips and support. In addition, 6 members of the current Cambridge Boat Race Crew were on site presenting the Medals and also offering encouragement and their support for the event as well as talent spotting.
A full list of results can be downloaded by clicking below: