Lakeland impress at sprint champs
Doubles pairing Billy Strong, left, and Luca Jones after their race
Lakeland put in a multi-medal-winning performance in challenging conditions at the North of England Sprint Championships on Saturday - and saw some excellent racing by junior crews.
Eighteen members aged from 13 to 64, some of whom learned to row only this spring, returned from the event at Hollingworth Lake, near Rochdale, with six medals.
It was a first taste of racing for many of the juniors, who recently graduated from the club’s learn-to-row programme, and, despite cold and very windy conditions, they performed impressively.
Fifteen-year-old Luca Regan-Teasdale, from Dacre, was first off in his inaugural race in a single scull. He won his heat comfortably and just lost out in the final to much more experienced rowers.
The club also put forward quads in the under-18, 16 and 15 categories, with several crew members also entered in double sculls.
Robert Penkett, aged 13, from Portinscale, who took the stroke seat in the under-15 quad, said: “It was a great experience for a first race.”
His mother, Caroline Haworth, added: “It was fantastic seeing everyone supporting and helping each other.”
The club’s senior rowers brought home half-a-dozen medals after coming through their respective heats. Eaglesfield duo Nick Cowan and Sam Ayers won a close all-Lakeland final against Celia Whittam, from Troutbeck, and Gordon Jack, from Greysouthen, in the E/F mixed doubles class (average age 55-64).
Celia took the women’s F singles crown (for rowers aged 60-64), and Nick triumphed in the men’s E singles (age 55-59) in the final against Gordon.
Sam and Julia McCumiskey, from Keswick, took top spot in the women’s C/D/E doubles (average age 45-59); Julia rowed to victory in the D mixed doubles (age 50-54) with Graeme Mactavish, from Bolton Low Houses, and Nick and Graeme won the men’s E/F doubles.
Julia, who is Lakeland’s junior coordinator, said: “The event was a wonderful introduction to racing for our new rowers. Our young crews have a lot of potential and it will be exciting to work with them as they progress.
“Thanks to a generous grant awarded by Allerdale Council from Sellafield Sports Fund earlier this year, Lakeland was able to purchase new equipment more suitable for younger and lighter rowers.
“This has enabled the club to recruit juniors at a younger age, as larger, more established clubs already do, in order to develop them over a number of years.”