STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s newly-promoted J14 squad enjoyed a medal-laden return to racing at the Evesham Head race.

Returning from a summer break, the squad competed in their first head race for almost a year.

J14 athlete Luke Spurling won his race in the open single sculls event while Safian Khan finished second.

And cox Enoch Stanford guided Ruben Hawkswell, Spurling, Khan and Eftychios Ntoukakis to second place in the J14 open coxed quad event.

The J14 women’s coxed quad of Natasha Wallace (cox), Georgia Wheeler, Margo Paul, Harriet Wheeler and Hattie McGurk raced to a strong fourth-place finish in a competitive field.

Stratford rowers Margo Paul and Georgia Wheeler competed in the women’s J14 single sculls with Natasha Wallace and Harriet Wheeler  in the double sculls.

And Stratford’s Gregor Francis and Hawkswell, alongside Stanford and Ntoukakis, raced in the open double sculls,

J14 coach, Rebecca Paul said: “Just as importantly, the squad demonstrated excellent teamwork throughout the day, helping each other prepare for races and working together enthusiastically during the post-event clear-up.

“The athletes represented the club superbly both on and off the water and should be proud of their efforts as they begin the new season.”

Stratford’s J15 Division One squad also took to the water at Evesham as Arthur Burt and Archie Mansfield raced in a 2x and finished just five seconds behind second place closely followed by Ethan Siwakowski and Archie Eaton.

However, the 2x of Amelia Cruickshank and Islay Milles won their race by a huge 21 seconds ahead of the second-placed crew.

In Division Two, the J15 boys’ coxed quad of of Eaton, Mansfield, Burt and Siwakowski, coxed by J16 athlete Raya Hothi, rowed to a second-place finish.

However, the crew suffered a cruel disqualification owing to a rule infringement.

The girls’ coxed quad of Charlotte Franklin, Milles, Cruickshank and Mary Heenan, coxed by J16 athlete Bethany Hammond, won their race by some 35 seconds.

In Division Three, Franklin took first place in the single sculls by nine seconds while Heenan raced to a fifth-place finish.

J15 coach, Dawson Curnock said: “Overall, a very strong performance and one that we will build upon through the coming winter into regatta season.

“Very well done to the squad. Onwards to Henley at the end of October.”

Stratford’s J16 squad all finished in the top-four places of their respective races.

In Division One, Connor Birrell missed out on second place by two seconds in the single sculls.

The women’s 4x crew of Abi Dunn, Meredith Paul, Lilly Parsons and Martina Bruce-Bonilla also took to the water and finished second in a close three-boat race behind a Stratford masters’ crew.

In Division Two, the open J16 2x of Nathan Lebordais and Reuben Stanford won their race.

Dunn and Paul and Parsons and Bruce-Bonilla then raced in separate 2x crews and finished second and fourth respectively.

Stratford finished the event on a high as two J16 coxless quads took to the water.

Charlotte Mansfield, Scarlett Wheeler, Bethany Hammond and Raya Hothi finished third in the J16 4x.

And Lebordais, Birrell, Tristan Hammick and Stanford proved the second fastest junior boat on the river and finished third fastest on the day overall.

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