A CLUB raced to victory in the British Rowing Junior Championships.

Hexham Rowing Club took part in the Championships last week in Nottingham.

The Women's Junior Under 14 team left as British Junior Champions and gold medallists.

Helen Bruce and Nicci Slipman are junior rowing coordinators of the club.

Nicci said: "The format of the competition is all crews race a time trial, which then determines which final they compete in. Each final has six crews in it and the A Final is the only medal race."

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The WJ14 quad placed first out of 36 boats in the time trials. Coxed by Lily Teague, the squad of Emma Nicholson, Esme Pugh, Cassie and Isabel Cain came first by five seconds.

The A Final saw them win by three seconds against prestigious clubs including Henley Rowing Club, and were awarded gold medals for first place.

Nicci said they 'stormed through the A Final to beat much-fancied Henley', and were crowned British Champions.

"The Henley coach congratulated them and asked where they had been hiding, as Henley and Hexham crews had gone the season undefeated," Nicci said.

Also triumphant was the J14 quad of Harry Westlake, Joe Littler and Dan Cantwell, in a composite crew with Joe Gaskin from Tyne Rowing Club, coxed by Hester Lockey. They came seventh in the time trials and secured victory in the B Final.

The J14 double of Finn Condren and Jacob Lloyd qualified for the A Final and came fifth place.

Nicci said the WJ15 double of Rose Nicholson and Katie Raine 'performed amazingly well' in the time trials securing 19th place.

They were 0.5 of a second off a C Final place, before securing first place with an 'amazing push from behind', Nicci said, in the last 100 metres in the competitive D Final.

Daisy Denbury put in a creditable performance, jumping into a last minute composite crew with a girl from Tyne Rowing Club.

The WJ16 double of Martha Wells-Johnson and Katie Littler laid down a 'very good strong time in the time trial' Nicci said, securing a D Final place.

Nicci said: "It was the biggest group of junior rowers Hexham Rowing Club has ever taken to the Championships and our faith in them was certainly rewarded.

"I believe the success they achieved is the result of the hard work, skill and positivity of our young coaching team, Owen Slipman and Chloe Slipman.

"Owen Slipman took on the role of full-time coach last summer along with his older sister Chloe, who coached part-time whilst completing her degree at Northumbria this year and achieved a first-class honours degree in Sports Coaching.

"They have produced some amazing young athletes."

Nicci praised Paul Nicholson, the club's boatman, for 'his enormous contribution' to the club.