ROWING
Newry Head of the River
ENNISKILLEN Royal Boat Club continued to enjoy big success this season with a successful campaign at the Newry Head of the River in Down on Saturday.
In the morning session, the boy’s first eight won the Men’s Senior category with a nine-second win over Trinity College Dublin and well ahead of old rival Neptune.
Evan Donaghy, Lorcan Sreenivasan, Austin Cassidy, Andrew Cuthbertson, Ryan Topping, Luke Bailey, Cillian Donaghy, Christian Timoney and cox Abbey Wilson were also the overall fastest crew in race one.
In the boys J15 quad of Josh Allen, Oliver Collins, Eli Irvin, Levi Thompson and cox Freya McNeary had a tight three-second win over two crews from Methody.
In the women’s Club Eight category, Claire Walsh, Hannah Armstrong, Naomi Robinson, Clodagh Donaghy, Rhea Cartin McCloskey, Sienna Howe, Zara Welsh, Meabh Murphy and cox Jessica Thompson also defeated the Trinity crew by 25 seconds.
The J16 eight crew of Eva Fowler, Kaitlyn Read, Holly Shaw, Beth Bradley, Sophie Collum, Michaela Ihnat, Cadence Binu, Hannah Keaney and cox Nicole Graham overcame Coleraine GS with a convincing 32 second margin.
The J16 octo crew of Evan Clarke, Oliver Jennings, Joel Crean, James McLeer, Reece Brady, Caelan Moore, Harry Welsh, Edward Dawa and cox Leah Topping had no competition in their category but they still raced a fast time coming in tenth overall amongst 71 crews.
In the afternoon session, the boys Club Eight with same crew as the morning session again defeated both Trinity and Neptune but with a larger 38 second margin.
The boys J16 eight of Evan Clarke, Josh Allen, Oliver Collins, Oliver Jennings, Caelan Moore, Joel Crean, Reece Brady, Harry Welsh and cox Ollie Powell registered a 1.55-minute winning margin over Coleraine. Their time of 15.54 was the fourth fastest overall and ahead of several senior crews so a strong result for this young crew.
There was a strong field of seven crews in the J15 quad category where Beth Bradley, Kaitlyn Read, Holly Shaw, Michaela Ihnat came out as winners with a close five-second margin over the second placed Commercial crew from Dublin.
The crews will now train back in Enniskillen in preparation for the upcoming Erne Head of the River on March 7.
