HEXHAM’S Queen Elizabeth High School Rowing Club was well represented at the Durham City Regatta.

And the club’s teenagers, ranging from Year 9 to Year 13, excelled on the River Wear, with several tasting victory for the first time.

The QEHS J14 girls experienced the emotion of winning their first final in the WJ14 octuple sculls, beating the much-fancied Yarm School crew.

The eight youngsters, with experienced cox Andrew Watson at the helm, managed the difficult task of keeping in sync throughout their very first final in a demanding boat class.

It was a race of fine margins, with the two crews never more than 5m apart throughout. The QEHS crew of Violet Barrass, Zara Holtham, Hannah Bowman, Fleur Forster, Millie Yorke, Taima Johnston, Daisy Christopher, and Freya McDermott, were able to display their glass tankard prizes with pride.

The other first time winners were a crew of J15 girls, most of whom have been in training up to four times a week for about 20 months.

The crew of Liv Milburn, Grace Wilson, Abi Cowley, and Eve Smith, coxed by Eve Tancsik, won the final of the women’s senior coxed quad, finishing ahead of Durham School.

Pauline Higgins, of QEHS Rowing Club, said: “By their perseverance and dedication, these girls have demonstrated that winning is not the sole reason for being involved in sport.

“They enjoy all aspects of the sport and the friendships formed prove to be an integral part of the QEHS rowing family, where they are valued for their individual contributions.”

Nevertheless, the win was deservedly celebrated with cake by the whole club at training on Sunday.

QEHS had a notable victory in the open senior coxless quad sculls with the crew of Dan Jones, Tom Smith, Harry Andersen, and Tom Archer.

They beat Yarm School in the semi-finals, before getting the better of a Doncaster Schools Rowing quad in the final.

Both races were keenly contested with all crews demonstrating good technical ability.

QEHS Rowing Club is long established in Hexham. It caters for about 85 rowers across school year groups 9 to 13.