At the 2019 British Rowing Junior Championships held from the 19th to the 21st July at the English National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, ASRA athletes won a record three gold and two silvers against strong opposition from all over the United Kingdom.

Our J16 boys – Oscar Forbes, Archie Innes, Ashley Geddes and Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance - fresh from their famous victory in the GB versus France Match - simply outclassed most of their opposition in the A-Final of the J16 Coxed Fours event and were understandably delighted to force their ASRA club mates, Scott Lewis and Michel Dearsley - rowing in a composite with Etonians, Harry Geffen, Cal Gorvy, and cox Jasper Parish - into the silver medal position.

In the final of the J16 Coxless Pairs event, Lewis & Dearsley had no compunction about beating their erstwhile shipmates from Eton into the bronze position, while they themselves had to be content with silver in the race for the line against a strong pairing from King’s Canterbury.

In the J18 Coxless Fours event, ASRA’s senior boys – Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Jakub Zbikowski & Aiden Graham – made up for their disappointment at Nat Schools, where they were beaten into silver by fractions of a second – by trouncing their nearest opposition from Walton and Henley to win gold by a clear 6 seconds.

In the final event of the day, a ding-dong battle ensued between ASRA (Archie Innes, Ashley Geddes, Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis, Gregor Charles, Aidan Graham, Christos Bardas, Xander Beeson and coxed by Skye Balance) and a Walton/Tideway Scullers composite with ASRA down by a second at the 1000 metre mark. At 1500 both crews drew level and in the last 500 metres ASRA put in an incredible burst of speed to beat their opposition by a clear 2 seconds on the line. ASRA is the only non-composite Scottish crew to have won the Eights event at this regatta and has the distinction of having done it twice, on the previous occasion back in 2016.

Elsewhere our girls continue to show improvement with Maisie Aspinall coming 5th in a field of 55 in WJ15 Single Sculls and later winning the B Final of WJ15 Double Sculls in grand style with her partner Zoe Beeson.

At the GB vs France J16 Team Trials held on Sunday 30^th June at Dorney Lake, Eton,  ASRA’s J16 boys – Oscar Forbes (Albyn), Ashley Geddes (Grammar), Archie Innes (Harlaw) & Matthew Hughson (Grammar) - put in a magnificent performance to come first in the coxless four trial and so secure their place on the GB J16 Team to face the French at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham on Thursday 11^th July. 

ASRA’s other J16 hopefuls, Scott Lewis (Mearns) and Michel Dearsley (Cults), in what was virtually a scratch pairing, came an impressive second in the coxless pairs trial and were duly teamed up with two Etonians to race-off in a coxed four for places in the second half of the GB eight. There they dead-heated for first place against the Eton A crew but sadly just lost out on selection after an exciting re-row. Three near misses in one day but a fantastic  series of races nevertheless!

At Henley Women’s Regatta held on the Thames from the 21^st to the 23^rd June , Abigail Topp and Megan Hewison, as GB final triallists, were unfortunately ineligible to compete in the event normally entered by ASRA’s J17/18 girls - the Girls’ Champion Coxed Fours event for the Groton Cup.

Instead, at the behest of Scottish Rowing, they teamed up once more with Heather Gordon of Inverness Rowing Club and Laura McKenzie of Loch Lomond Rowing Club, with whom they had struck HIR gold in 2018, and were entered in the Aspirational Club Coxless Fours event, essentially an event for adult club crews. That said, having come an impressive second fastest in Friday’s time trials, they put in strong performances the following day to defeat crews from Cantabrigian Rowing Club and Vesta Rowing Club, before finally losing out on Sunday to an experienced crew from Thames Rowing Club in the semi-final of their event.

At the 2019 Scottish Rowing Championships held over 3 days from the 7th to the 9th of June at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, ASRA athletes won a total of 12 gold medals, 5 silver and 1 bronze.

Gold:

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Women’s Junior Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Megan Lewis & Frances Sealy, coxed by Emily Simpson
• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless pairs: Archie Innes & Michel Dearsley
• Men’s Junior 18 Eights: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson, Scott Lewis, Ashley Geddes, Matthew Hughson, Gregor Charles & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Eights: Oscar Forbes, Archie Innes, William Penny, Harris Macdonald, Alex Fowler, Michel Dearsley, Joe Ritchie & Will Cooper, coxed by Erin Gibson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes, & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Charles, William Penny, Scott Lewis & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Erin Gibson

Silver:

• Women’s J18 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Senior Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Harris Pearce & Will Cooper, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Alex Fowler & Joe Ritchie

Bronze:

• Men’s Junior 15 Single Sculls: Will Cooper

Our gratitude as always to the coaches, drivers, parent helpers and supporters, without whom these outstanding results would simply not be possible.

From the 24th to the 26th May, at the prestigious National Schools Regatta, held annually on the Olympic course at Dorney Lake, Eton, 20 athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association took a break from their SQA commitments to join 5000 of Great Britain’s best young rowers to compete for national titles.

Of the seven race categories entered, our athletes succeeded in fighting their way through time-trials and semi-finals to reach the “A” Finals (last six) in five of them and the podium in one.

ASRA’s star J17 Four - Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski - who took gold in 2016, 2017 and 2018 at this regatta, had to be odds-on favourites in the Schools Fours Cup, but on this occasion just lost out in their characteristic charge for the line to the boys from Westminster School Boat Club by 0.6 of a second... nevertheless a brilliant silver for them and their cox Skye Ballance in a field of 17 crews, where all the home countries were represented.

Disappointment too for ASRA’s J18 girls who just a fortnight ago took gold for Great Britain at the Munich Junior International Regatta. Abigail Topp and Megan Hewison looked to have coped successfully with the double pressure of a punishing GB training schedule and school exams as they powered their way to a thrilling second position in a field of 27 crews in the time trial and all set to podium in the Girls’ Championship Coxless Pairs event, but sadly finally ran out of steam, as they ended up an untypically jaded fifth in the hotly contended final of the event.

A great deal of credit has to go also to our younger J15 and J16 athletes for reaching the “A” finals in....

• J15 Coxed Fours (5th) Alex Fowler, Will Cooper, Joe Ritchie & Christy Probart, coxed by Skye Ballance
• J16 Eights (6th) Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Oscar Forbes, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance
• J16 Quadruple Sculls (6th) Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson

At the Castle Semple Regatta, Lochwinnoch, on Saturday 18th May, ASRA’s athletes won 8 gold medals and came second in 5 further events in their last multi-lane regatta in Scotland before they move on this coming weekend to challenge the cream of English rowing at the National Schools’ Regatta on Dorney Lake, Eton.

Gold medals were won in...

• Women’s Open Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Women’s Junior 18 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Open Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Balance
• Men’s Open Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s J18 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s Novice Fours: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Euan Fowler & Will Cooper, coxed by Steph Lowe
• Men’s Junior 15 Fours: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Maisie Aspinall & Will Cooper, coxed by Julia Zbikowska
• Men’s Novice Single Sculls: Euan Fowler

Congratulations also go to our rowers who came so close to gold in Women’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls, Men’s Junior 15 Double Sculls, Women’s Junior 15 Single Sculls, Women’s J14 Double Sculls & Women’s Junior 13 Double Sculls.

Gold for the GB Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours.

ASRA’s Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison – together with Alexandra Riddell-Webster from Godolphin & Latymer and Phoebe Snowden from Henley 

At the prestigious DRV (German Rowing Federation) Junior International Regatta on Saturday 4^thand Sunday 5^thMay in Munich, ASRA’s Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison – together with Alexandra Riddell-Webster from Godolphin & Latymer and Phoebe Snowden from Henley - were selected to row for Great Britain in the Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours event. On Saturday the GB Four came a creditable first in the “B” Final, but on Sunday they really came into their own and overcame stout opposition from Poland, Austria and Germany to win a magnificent gold in the first of two “A” finals in the event, bettering the winning time in the other “A”  final by a clear 1.5 seconds.

The Munich International Regatta, in which over 1000 rowers from 15 countries annually take part, is an important milestone in the GB team selection process for the World Junior Rowing Championships, which are to be held this year from the 7^th– 11^thAugust in Tokyo, Japan. 

On Saturday, 4th May at Aberdeen’s own North East Regatta, ASRA’s younger members were taking what might be for them the first steps on the long road to GB selection, by recording impressive wins in three adult events:

• Women’s Novice Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson
• Open Novice Double Sculls: Alex Fowler & Joe Ritchie
• Open Novice Coxed Fours: Alex Fowler, Will Cooper, Joe Ritchie & Christy Probart, coxed by Erin Gibson

On Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April, having just returned from their annual training camp in Regensburg on the Danube, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association put in a series of strong performances at Scotland’s National Rowing Centre in Motherwell, to win a total of 8 gold medals and three silvers in this, the first multi- lane event of the 2019 rowing season.

Gold

• Scottish Universities “B” Eights Challenge Winners (and a brilliant second in Men’s Open Eights): - ASRA’s J16 Eight - Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Oscar Forbes, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance

• Men’s Open Restricted 1 Coxed Fours & Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Open Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Jayros James & Will Cooper, coxed by Erin Gibson

• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson

• Women’s Junior 14 Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

• Women’s Junior 13 Doubles: Erin Gibson & Phoebe McCraith

Silver

• Women’s Restricted 1 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp

• Women’s Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Maisie Aspinall, Zoe Beeson Freya Hughson & Phoebe McCraith, coxed by Erin Gibson

• Women’s Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Freya Hughson, Charlotte Arthur, Ella Johnston & Charlotte Reynolds, coxed by Erin Gibson

Last week, as Storm Gareth subsided and Storm Hannah approached the UK, organisers of the prestigious Schools' Head of the River Race, which takes place annually over a 6.8 kilometre stretch of the Thames from Mortlake to Putney, were faced with a dilemma. Should the race, scheduled for 15 March, go ahead? Their final decision was to reduce risk by removing events for coxed fours and quadruple sculls, leaving the majority of the coxed eights events running, despite the forecast winds.

For the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association this decision meant the crew of Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Harris MacDonald, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes and Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance competed in the Men's Junior Championship J16 Eights. They rowed a strong race, overtaking two crews in the time trial format as they progressed down the river. Their final time (17mins, 33.4s) was the third fastest in their category, just 3.2s behind the category winner, Eton College, and the 21st fastest time of the day across all categories. Winning the bronze medal at this highly competitive national race is an encouraging result for the boys, showing they have continued to strengthen their performance from the great season they had last year.

Disappointingly, the crew of Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Alexander Beeson and Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Will Cooper, were left to support from the river bank due to the cancellation of their category – Schools’ Coxed Fours – in which they were also predicted to medal.

The focus of the club now turns to the summer regatta season and in the Easter holidays they will travel to Regensburg – Aberdeen’s twin city – for a one-week training camp to prepare.

On Saturday 9th March at the annual Aberdeen Eights Head on the Dee, Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association’s J16 Eight beat all comers - including staunch opposition from an Aberdeen /Robert Gordon Universities’ composite, Glasgow and Dundee universities - to win both the first and second divisions outright.

It was a great warm up for this crew – Matthew Hughson, Archie Innes, Ashley Geddes, Gregor Charles, Harris Macdonald, Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis & Oscar Forbes, coxed by Skye Ballance – who, next Friday ( March 15th) are off to the Thames to do battle at the Schools’ Head against what sounds like a Who’s Who of the best in Junior British Rowing, including Eton College, St Paul’s , Radley, Hampton and Westminster Schools. This ASRA crew in fact won the J15 Eights division in this race last year, but the step-up to J16 is a considerable one.

They will be joined on the Thames by ASRA’s J17 Four – Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski – who won the J16 division pennant in this event last year.

On Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th February at the annual Inverness Eights and Small Boats Heads on the Caledonian Canal, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association recorded a total of 11 category wins over the course of the weekend.

Saturday
Division 1:

• Men’s Under 16 Eights: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Harris Macdonald, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance

Division 2:

• Men’s Junior 18 Eights: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Harris Macdonald, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Open Novice Eights: Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Will Cooper, Euen Fowler, Jayros James, Maisie Aspinall, Jan Barraclough & Angus White, coxed by Sophia Brew
• Women’s Junior 18 Doubles: Megan Hewison & Abigail Topp
• Women’s Novice Doubles: Meg Lewis & Frances Sealy
  Women’s Junior 14 Doubles: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

Sunday
Division 1:

• Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Angus White
• Women’s Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison

Division 2:

• Men’s Restricted 1 Coxed Fours: Scott Lewis, Harris Macdonald, Gregor Charles & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Women’s Open Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison , Meg Lewis, coxed by Freya Hughson
• Women’s Novice Doubles: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson

At the Inverness Fours and Small Boats Heads on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th November on the Caledonian Canal with over 500 crews representing clubs, schools and universities from all over Scotland taking part, ASRA crews fought their way against stiff opposition to winners’ medals in the following 11 categories :

Saturday

Division 1:

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Steph Low
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Skye Ballance

Division 2:

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Megan Lewis & Maisie Aspinall, coxed by Julia Zbikowska
• Men’s Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Will Cooper & Angus White, coxed by Skye Balance
• Women’s J14 Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

Sunday

Division 1:

• Men’s Junior 18 Pairs: Chris Bardas & Seth Turner
• Women’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp

Division 2:

• Men’s Junior 16 Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson
• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Gregor Charles, Jan Barraclough, Euan Fowler & Will Cooper, coxed by Steph Low
• Women’s J14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Zoe Beeson, Freya Hughson, Phoebe McCraith & Erin Gibson, coxed by Julia Zbikowska

Photographs from the event are available to view in the Photo Gallery.

At the Aberdeen Fours and Small Boats Head Races on the Dee on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October, ASRA athletes recorded an impressive number of category wins against senior opposition from Aberdeen Boat Club, Deeside Scullers, Tay Rowing Club and Heart of Scotland Boat Club as well as student crews from Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Glasgow, Heriot- Watt, Dundee and St Andrews Universities.

Saturday

Division 1:

• Men’s Open Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Gregor Charles & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low
• Women’s Quadruple Sculls: Megan Hewison, Abigail Topp, Holly Reid (RGU) & Zoe Beeson

Division 2:

• Men’s Under 18 Coxed Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Gregor Charles & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low

Sunday

Division 1:

• Men’s Under 18 Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson
• Women’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Single Sculls: Harris MacDonald
• Women’s Novice Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

Division 2:

• Men’s Junior 18 Pairs: Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski
• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Double Sculls: Will Cooper & Angus White

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th October, the annual Bob Neill Scottish Schools’ Rowing Council Head of the River Races were held for the first time ever on the River Dee over a timed 3 kilometre course from the Victoria Bridge to the Ruthrieston Burn. 240 crews representing all the major junior rowing clubs in Scotland competed over the two days of the event. On Saturday, the Aberdeen Schools’ Rowing Association won the Scottish Junior Club Fours Champions’ Cup for the 9th year in succession, but by a much decreased margin, and on Sunday, despite collecting 8 category winners’ pennants and recording the fastest time in any sculling boat over the course, ASRA had to concede defeat in the end (and the Scottish Junior Club Champions’ Sculling Trophy) to brilliant opposition from the Glasgow Schools’ Rowing Association.

Winners’ Pennants went to the following ASRA crews listed here in finishing time order:

Saturday (SSRC Fours Head)

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours and Fastest Crew overall: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw), Xander Beeson(Albyn), Ashley Geddes(Harlaw) & Seth Turner(Cults), coxed by Stephanie Low (Grammar)
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Michel Dearsley (Cults), Scott Lewis (Mearns), William Penny (Grammar) & Harris MacDonald (Albyn), coxed by Angus White (Albyn)
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp (Kemnay), Megan Hewison (Gordon’s),Megan Lewis (Mearns) & Maisie Aspinall (Cults), coxed by Skye Balance (Cults)

Sunday (SSRC Sculling Head)

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Quadruple Sculls and Fastest Crew: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw), Xander Beeson (Albyn), Scott Lewis ( Mearns) & Seth Turner (Cults)
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Matthew Hughson (Grammar), Archie Innes (Harlaw), Ashley Geddes (Grammar) & Oscar Forbes ( Albyn)
• Men’s Junior 18 Double Sculls; Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw) & Seth Turner (Cults)
• Men’s Junior 16 Double Sculls: Matthew Hughson (Grammar) & Oscar Forbes (Albyn)
• Men’s Junior 15 Sculls: Alex Fowler (Albyn) & Joe Ritchie (Grammar)
• Men’s Junior 18 Single Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw)
• Men’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Will Cooper Angus White, Alex Fowler (all Albyn) & Joe Ritchie (Grammar), coxed by Jayros James (Cults)
• Women’s Junior 14 Single Sculls: Zoe Beeson (Albyn)

Photographs from the event are available to view in the Photo Gallery.

At the annual Aberdeen Sprint Regatta on Saturday 25th August on the Dee, ASRA was the most successful of the 8 clubs taking part, amassing a total of 81 points over the day’s racing. Runners up were the rowers from Stirling Boat Club with 64 points. ASRA won 14 categories in all, the spoils being equally divided between boys and girls.

• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Women’s Open Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Women’s Restricted 1 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Women’s Junior 16 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp
  Women’s Junior 16 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson
• Women’s Junior 14 Single Sculls: Maisie Aspinall
• Women’s Duathlon Winner: Megan Hewison
• Open R2 Coxless Pairs: Alex Beeson & Chris Bardas
• Open Junior 14 & Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Jayros James & Will Cooper, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Open Restricted 1 Double Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski & Chris Bardas
• Open J16 Double Sculls: Alex Beeson & Euan Fowler
• Open R2 Single Sculls: Seth Turner
• Open Junior 16 Single Sculls: Will Cooper

At the 2018 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice in the Czech Republic on the 10th to the 12th August, after a long and unbelievably arduous selection process going right back to November of last year, Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association’s Robert Powell and Miles Beeson were finally selected to represent Great Britain in Junior Men’s Coxless Pairs, an event in which 21 leading rowing nations from across the globe had entered crews.

Having come a comfortable fourth in their heat, Robert and Miles were then unfortunate enough to progress into the faster of the A/B semi-finals, where they were denied an A Final place by the three eventual medallists, Rumania, Germany & Croatia.Despite their disappointment at missing out on the A Final, they then went on to produce a commanding performance in the B Final against Argentina, Belarus, Serbia, Turkey and the Netherlands, leading the field out from the first 500 metres and fighting off a grandstand challenge from Argentina in the last 100 metres of the race.

Miles and Robert once again did ASRA and Scotland proud and they carry our best wishes with them as they leave us now to take up sports scholarships at Yale and Princeton Universities respectively.

At the 2018 British Rowing Junior Championships, held from the 20th to the 22nd July at the English National Rowing Centre , Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, ASRA’s J15 gold medal winning Eight from the London Schools’ Head - in the absence of a J15 Eights event – split up to test their mettle this time around against the best of British in two fours events.

Scott Lewis , Michel Dearsley, William Bricknell & Gregor Charles, coxed by Stephany Low , stepped up an age range and fought their way through to a brilliant bronze in Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours, only being bettered on this occasion by older, seasoned outfits from Chester-le-Street and Walton Rowing Clubs, whilst their crewmates, Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance, powered their way to a magnificent silver in Men’s J15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls, losing by less than a length in the end to Tideway Scullers’ School in one of the most exciting finals of the day.

Meanwhile, on Saturday in Cork, Southern Ireland, their senior teammates were rowing for Scotland in the 2018 Home Countries International Regatta, where ASRA’s Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison together with Sarah Johnston & Heather Gordon from Inverness Rowing Club put in an exceptional row in the Women’s Junior Coxless Fours event to record Scotland’s only Junior gold and one of only five wins overall for the Scottish team. ASRA’s Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Theo Scott & Sam Kelso also did club and country proud and were unlucky to lose by a canvas to England in a tantalisingly close race for the Men’s Junior Coxless Fours title.

On the 22nd June our ASRA Senior Girls travelled down to the prestigious 3-day Henley Women’s Regatta on the Thames in order to enter the lists again after a gap of three years in the Girls’ Champion Coxed Fours event for the Groton Cup. 18 clubs including all the usual household names from the length and breadth of England and three crews from the USA took part in the event this year.

ASRA’s Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis & Megan Hewison, coxed by Will Cooper had not had the best of preparations for this regatta due to heavy exam commitments and illness, but put up a good performance to come 7th out of 18 in the Time Trials on Saturday and then made short work of the girls from Maidstone Invicta in the first round in order to progress to the last eight on Sunday morning. The USA Scholastic Junior Champions from Lower Merion High School, Pennsylvania, proved however to be a much tougher proposition, and having slipped in the second 500 metres to a three length deficit, our girls’ heroic challenges in the last 500 metres were just not enough in the end to secure a place in the semi-final.

This crew is eligible to compete in this event again in 2019 and there is little doubt that, given sufficient commitment, they are eminently capable of emulating ASRA’s Christie Duff, Emily Geddes, Holly Reid & Morven Shaw ,who brought the Groton Cup back to Aberdeen in 2012, despite having been eliminated in the quarter final of the event in 2011.

From the Scottish National Rowing Championships at Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, from the 8th – 10th June, ASRA athletes brought home 6 gold medals, 4 silver medals and a bronze.

Gold Medals:

• Men’s Junior Coxed Fours: Sam Kelso, Mile Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Sam Kelso & Theo Stott
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s J15 Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis & Archie Innes, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Open Novice Eight: Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, William Bricknell, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes, Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance

Silver Medals:

• Men’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Asley Geddes, Gregor Charles, Maisie Aspinall & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low
• Men’s Junior 15 Doubles: Ashley Geddes & Archie Innes
• Men’s Junior 14 Double: Joe Ritchie & Will Cooper
• Men’s Open Eights: Sam Kelso, Miles Beeson, Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Danny Skinner, Theo Stott, Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance

Bronze Medal:

• Women’s J14 Single Sculls: Maisie Aspinall

Other Noteworthy results:

• Robert Powell and Miles Beeson won the Men’s Junior & Senior Coxless Pairs time trial on the Friday evening but were unable to take part in the final due to illness.
• Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Will Cooper were 2nd in the Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours
• Joe Ritchie, Harris Pearce, Alex Fowler & Will Cooper, coxed by Steph Low were 2nd in Men’s Junior 14 Quadruple Sculls