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News and Features

Issue 100 - Centenary July 1997

National Schools Regatta, May 24-25

Radley's revival

Mike Rosewell reports
Radley were the stars of the record 2,825 competitors at the National Schools Regatta this year when, after a lapse of 16 years, they won the Queen Mothers Cup for championship eights. The interim years had been dominated by Eton, with some successes for Hampton and St Edwards, but 1997, Radley's 150th anniversary year, began to look good for their cause until two weeks before the event when they lost their stroke man, Harvey Goodall, who blacked out while stroking the British four in Munich.

St Edwards, the Schools Head winners, led to 900 metres in the final,closely accompanied by Abingdon. Radley were third,just ahead of Eton, with St Pauls and Hampton trailing. Radley's replacement stroke, Ronan Cantwell, another GB candidate, then pushed and took the lead but only one second covered the leading four at 1,000 metres before Radley produced a sparkling 250 metre piece to gain a length, their eventual winning margin. A fascinating battle for silver and bronze saw Eton briefly hold second place before St Edwards reestablished themselves, Abingdon faded to sixth,and a late surge by St Pauls, and a photo finish, gave them the bronze from Eton.

Radley's win in the championship eights was only the tip of the iceberg since the Radleians won a total of seven sets of medals,four golds, two silvers and one bronze, all remarkably in eights.

Lady Eleanor Holles maintained a five year unbeaten run in the womens eights. Their perennial rivals, Kingston Grammar, threw everything into the first 500 metres of the final and just led, but Holles' faster cruising speed took them away in the second 500. Kingston nearly paid the penalty for their brave start in the closing stages when Headington, in a rare appearance in an eight, the boat being borrowed only the day before, closed up fast to take bronze.

James Di-Luzio of Mortlake won the championships mens sculls title and the prize of a new boat which went with it. Di-Luzio, who achieved GB selection in a double last summer and is still only 16, won in Munich two weeks before the National Schools where his squad mate, Matthew Wells from Northumberland, chased him home. It was the same at Nottingham: Di-Luzio and Wells left the other four finalists in their wake. Di-Luzio edged it, knocking nearly a minute off the record in the strong tail wind.

Kate Holton of Evesham, a junior international in 1996, won the womens sculls, just holding off Frances Houghton, her former school colleague at Kings, Canterbury. Houghton, 6ft 4ins and only 16, and Isabel Walker from Scotland who was fourth, are likely to row, rather than scull, for Britain this summer. They were separated in the final by bronze winner Jane Bogarate,a 1996 Swiss international.

Saturday results. Championships (2000m)

Men's eights: 1. Radley (5:55); 2. St. Edward's (5:58); 3. St. Paul's (5:59). Women's eights: 1. Lady Eleanor Holles (6:47); 2. Kingston GS (6:52); 3. Headington (6:54). Men's sculls: 1. J. Di-Luzio, Mortlake (7:12); 2. M. Walls, Queen Eliz. HS (7:13); 3. J. Murray, Meth. Bel (7:23). Women's sculls: 1. K. Holton, Evesham (8:13); 2. F. Houghton, King's, Cant. (8:14); 3. J.Bogarate, Eton Excelsior (8:15).

Other events

Eights (1500m unless *)
First eights*: 1. Westminster (6:00); 2. Oundle (6:03); 3. King's, Cant. (6:07). Second eights*: 1. Radley (6:09); 2. Shrewsbury (6:10); 3. Hampton (6:11). Third eights: 1. Hampton (4:41); 2. Bedford (4:42); 3. Radley (4:43). J16 A*: 1. King's, Chester (6:13); 2. Eton (6:15); 3. Shrewsbury (6:17). J16 B: 1. Shrewsbury (4:49); 2. Monmouth (4:52); 3. Oratory (4:53). J15 A: 1 King's, Wimbledon (4:42); 2. Radley (4:43); 3. St. Edward's (4:46). J15 B: 1. Cheltenham (4:55); 2. Westminster (4:57); 3. King's, Wimbledon (4:58). J15 (Second): 1. Radley (5:08); 2. St. Edward's (5:11); 3. St. Paul's (5:12). J14 A: 1. Radley (5:10); 2. Shiplake (5:11); 3. Latymer (5:14). J14 B: 1. Westminster (5:31); 2. Radley (5:36); 3. Shiplake (5:37). WJ16: 1. Lady Eleanor Holles (5:27); 2. George Watson's (5:33); 3. KGS (5:37).
Fours
School: 1. Latymer (4:56); 2. Reading Bluecoat (5:04); 3. Tiffin (5:05). J16: 1. Westminster (5:08); 2. Newark (5:12); 3. Winchester (5:13). J15: 1. Latymer (5:15); 2. Pangbourne (5:17); 3. Nithsdale (5:22). J14 A: 1. Windsor Boys (5:26); 2. King's, Chester (5:28); 3. Shrewsbury (5:35). J14 B: 1. King's, Chester A (5:38); 2. King's Chester B (5:45); 3. Shrewsbury (5:48). WJ14: 1. LEH (5:40); 2. Gloucester (5:42); 3. Henley (5:44).
Sculls
Jun: 1. J. Blackley, Star (5:28); 2. E. Markham, Norwich (5:34); 3. R. Sanders, Newcastle (5:36).

Sunday results. Championships (2000m)

Men Coxed fours: 1. St. Paul's (6:32); 2. Oundle (6:38); 3. St. Edward's (6:39) Coxless fours: 1. Abingdon (6:20); 2. Hampton (6:21); 3. Shrews. (6:25) Quads: 1. Queen Eliz. HS (6:20); 2. Wycliffe (6:21); Sir William Borlase (6:22). Coxless pairs: 1. Latymer (7:04); 2. Monmouth (7:06); 3. King's Cant. (7:08). Double sculls: 1. Notts C. (6:41); 2. Leander (6:45); 3. Windsor boys (6:47).

Women Coxless fours: 1. LEH (7:14); 2. Headington (7:31); 3. Haberdashers, Monmouth (7:33). Quads: 1. King's, Cant. (NTT: Rowed over). Coxless pairs: 1. Headington (7:48); 2. KGS A (7:56); KGS B (8:12). Double sculls: 1. Evesham (7:37); 2. George Watson's (7:37.3); 3. Christchurch (7:39).

Other events (1500m except where marked *)

Men Coxless pairs *: 1. Pangbourne (7:06); 2. Bedford (7:06); 3. Hampton (7:09) J16 fours: 1. Shrews. (4:54); 2. Eton (4:55); 3. Bedford (4:55.7). J16 quads: 1. Tiffin (4:53); 2. Windsor Boys (4:55); Lancaster GS (4:55.7). J15 quads: 1. King's, Wimbledon (5:05); 2. Latymer (5:11); 3. KGS (5:11.6). J16 pairs: 1. Hampton (5:13); 2. St. Edward's (5:22); 3. Bedford B (5:36). J16 doubles: 1. Star (5:06); 2. York City (5:11); 3. Gloucester (5:13). J15 doubles: 1. Pang. (5:22); 2. Hereford Cathedral (5:28); 3. Westminster (5:29). J14 doubles: 1. Walton (5:33); 2. Koniston Combe (5:44); 3. Bedford (5:47). J16 sculls: 1. A. Brown, Bradford/Avon (5:39); 2. K. Watson, St. Herrig (5:37); 3. G. Weeks (5:40). J15 sculls: 1. D. Currie, Wycliffe (5:45); 2. R. Rosink, Henley (5:48); S. Clark, KGS (5:51).

Women Fours: 1. Lady Eleanor Holles (5:44); 2. Nithsdale (5:48); 3. St. Paul's (5:51). Quads: 1. Sir William Borlane (NTT); 2. Henley (NTT); 3. Trent (NTT). J16 fours: 1. King's School, Worcester (5:46); 2. St. Peter's (5:54); 3. Aberdeen Schools (5:57). J16 quads: 1. Sir William Borlane (5:47); 2. Bedford Schools (5:50); 3. Grange (5:54). J15 qQuads: 1. LEH (5:47); 2. KGS (5:51); 3. Headington (5:55). J16 doubles: 1. Peterborough City (5:56); 2. Queen Eliz. HS (5:58); 3. Monkton C (6:02). J15 doubles: 1. LEH (5:58); 2. George Watson's (6:03); 3. Hereford Cathedral (6:09). J14 doubles: 1. LEH (5:54); 2. Henley A (5:59); 3. Henley B (6:11). J16 sculls: 1. F. Houghton, King's Cant. (6:09); 2. C. Cook, Pengwern (6:19.2); 3. L. Collins, Burway (6:19.9). J15 sculls: 1. H. Emes, Evesham (6:24); 2. K. Foord, Hereford (6:26); 3 B. Harris, Camborne (6:27).

Tops in the medal tables (115 schools and clubs entered): Lady Eleanor Holles 8; Radley and Shrewsbury 7; Kingston Grammar 6; St Edwards, Westminster, Hampton, Latymer,Bedford,Kings Canterbury, Henley R.C. 5.

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