Oakes gets the gold as rowers secure record results (From Warrington Guardian)

Oakes gets the gold as rowers secure record results

WARRINGTON Rowing Club grabbed four medals as they enjoyed their best performance to date at the National Schools Regatta at the weekend.

Great Britain junior squad member Olivia Oakes again played a starring role in Nottingham as she bagged a bronze medal in the girls' junior 16 double sculls with Kate McQuillian before taking gold in the single sculls.

Oakes and McQuillian had suffered disappointment in the double sculls as they attempted to defend the title they won last year.

Qualifying went slightly awry for the duo, leaving them with a poor lane draw in the final, and they were only able to finish third.

But both girls made the final of the single sculls event with good performances in qualifying and Oakes took home the Kitchin Cup after leading the 2,000m race from start to finish despite competition from the defending champion, while McQuillian finished fourth.

Michael Pownall and James Whitehead grabbed a silver medal in the boys' junior 15 double sculls, with Luke Balcerak and Chris Johnstone finishing fifth.

Jenny Argent and Hannah Unsworth secured bronze medals in the girls' junior 18 double sculls, while three other crews made finals.

Pownall, Whitehead, Balcerak, Johnstone and cox Emma Dunbavand almost clinched a medal in the boys' junior 15 coxed quadruple sculls but finished fourth, while Josh Goswell, Darren Griffiths, Philip Lyons, Matthew Spence and cox Bryony Ackroyd finished fifth in the boys' junior 14 coxed quadruple sculls.

Olivia Clubley and Jennie Pearson finished fourth in the girls' junior 14 double sculls but Lottie Cooper and Lauren Rowe missed out on the final, as did Tom Pearson in the boys' junior 15 single sculls.