The Junior sculling head is taking place on the 16th of March, only a couple of days after the Schools’ head. Therefore, the crews that did well will have some pressure to continue their success, and those who did not perform to their highest standard will have another chance to prove themselves. In 2019 it was Henley RC that dominated, having 2 crews in the medals. It will be fascinating to see which clubs shine through this year.
Setting off first is the strong Henley RC quad. After winning this category at both fours head and Wycliffe SBH, they will be entering this competition with confidence. This season this group of girls also showed off their strong single sculling talent at Henley LDS where places first to fourth were all taken up by scullers from Henley RC. This crew has started their 2022 season off well and I hope that we keep seeing the increase in their speed as the year goes on.
Another crew clearly showing some talent is the quad from Wycliffe College. These girls have already had some success this year, winning Henley LDS in the quad. They also came second at Wycliffe SBH, only four seconds behind Henley RC, which especially over a head race is the smallest of margins. It will be great to see two fast girl’s quads, basically matched in speed, fighting it out for the top spots.
Setting off behind Henley RC is the quad from Marlow RC. This too will be a very close race, proven when they came second at The Fours Head this year, only 10 seconds away from Henley RC. Being set off directly after their main competition might be exactly what these girls need to close that gap. The program that this quad comes from is known for producing consistently fast and technical crews, with new talent always seeming to rise up.
While I think these three clubs mentioned will be at the front of the field, other crews to look out for are the quads from Lea Rowing Club, Surbiton and Headington. These are all filled with athletes who have the potential to find the extra gear to get ahead of the competition. I look forward to seeing the battle for the top spot which I predict will be won by Henley.
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