The Harewood indoor rowers who took bronze in the National Junior Indoor Rowing championships. From left to right: Reiss White, Bradley Weller, Mohammad Farooq, Sam Hassell
The Harewood indoor rowers who took bronze in the National Junior Indoor Rowing championships. From left to right: Reiss White, Bradley Weller, Mohammad Farooq, Sam Hassell
A Bournemouth college is making real waves in the sport of rowing, winning national and regional honours.
For the fifth year running Harewood College has finished on the podium in the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships.
And to add to that amazing success, they’ve also scooped top prizes on the water in the Head of the Stour Regatta held in Christchurch.
At the national indoor event, the Junior Sprint Relay team of Mohammad Farooq, Reiss White, Bradley Weller and Sam Hassell took third place in an incredibly exciting and close race held at the Lea Valley Athletics Centre in London.
And close was most definitely the word as there was just 1.5 seconds separating gold from bronze.
To get on the podium is an incredible achievement for an event, which attracts more than 3,000 competitors and is the world’s biggest indoor rowing event.
Meanwhile at the Head of Stour Regatta, two Harewood teams representing Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club took top honours in time trial races.
The successful students from Harewood College who won their race in the Head of Stour Regatta held in Christchurch.
Executive headteacher for Avonbourne Trust, Debbie Godfrey-Phaure, said: “These are fantastic achievements for our boys who have trained incredibly hard for both events.
“Our rowers’ reputation grows every year and they are really helping to put Harewood College on the map.”
As well as the Junior Sprint relay team picking up a bronze in the national indoor championships, Harewood also scored other impressive results in such a large field.
The relay B team finished a very creditable 13th position and among the many individual successes were high places in the Year 10 and Year 11 races.
Top performer in year 10 was Ben Chesterman in 19th place, closely followed by Dominik Bihari (22nd), Tom Cave (28th), Connor Stone (31st) and Omar Ibrahim in 36th.
And in the year 11 race, Max Fletcher came out on top in 22nd position, followed by David Starr (25th), Alex Schofield (28th), Chris Pearce (29th), Bruce-Lei Bennett (31st), Nathan Williamson (34th) and Gabor Szilagyi (35th).
Hot-on-the heels of the Junior Indoor Rowing championships, was more success for Harewood – this time on the water.
Tom Cave, Connor Stone, Gabor Szilagyi, Dominik Bihari and Ben Chesterman plus Maths teacher Caroline Mitchell and representing Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club, all competed in the Head of Stour Regatta.
In the morning session, Tom, Connor, Gabor and former Harewood student Nathan Prowles finished in 1st place in the Junior Coxed Quad category.
And in the afternoon, Tom, Ben, Dominik and Nathan completed a Harewood double adding another 1st in the Junior Coxed Four category whilst Gabor stepped up to the Senior Men’s Coxed Four and helped them to third place.
Harewood’s indoor rowing coach, Paul Sawyer, said: “It has been an honour to witness these boys progress from novices to champions.
“Our new partnership with Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club means our students now have a pathway from indoor novice level right through to elite water events such as Henley Regatta, an opportunity not normally available in state schools.”
Harewood College is now seeking sponsorship so it can purchase its own boat for its rowers to train on. Any business or individual interested in helping should contact Paul Sawyer on 01202 398451.
Note to editors: For more information please contact Rachel Read, account director at Deep South Media on 01202 534487
