Wins galore for Peterborough City rowers who dominated their own summer regatta
Peterborough City Rowing Club dominated their own summer regatta at Thorpe Meadows.
City rowers claimed multiple medals over the 1000m course on Saturday and then in 500m events on Sunday. For the first time mixed crews raced in Masters events.
City women led the way early, with Hannah Pape and Keely Watson taking the WMas A/B 2x, while Anna Robotham and Kaia Campo made light work of the W2-. It was a big day for the club's women’s coxed four, Bianca Manganiello, Claire Widdowson, Eleanor Dean and Sarah Watson, who doubled up — winning both the W4- and, in a different band, the W 4x.
The junior ranks weren't to be outdone. George Dennis and Matas Lebed took the Op J16 2x, while Edie Shields claimed victory in the W J16 1x. In the senior men's events, Tom Calver, James Marshall, Joe Haracz and Chris Elder won Band 1 of the Op 4x-, and the Open 4+ of Oliver Barber, Lewis Barber, Sergio Read and Matt Baker also crossed the line first.
Masters crews were well represented too, with Kate Read and Linda Dennis winning the W MasC 2x, Rebecca Shields and Helen Wallace taking the W MasE 2x, and Duncan Graham and Karl Stapleton winning the Op MasB/C 2x.
Saturday's City winners: WMas A/B 2x – Hannah Pape and Keely Watson; W4- – Bianca Manganiello, Claire Widdowson, Eleanor Dean, Sarah Watson
W2- – Anna Robotham and Kaia Campo; Op J16 2x – George Dennis and Matas Lebed; W MasC 2x – Kate Read and Linda Dennis; Op 4x- (Band 1) – Tom Calver, James Marshall, Joe Haracz, Chris Elder; W MasE 2x – Rebecca Shields and Helen Wallace; W 4x (Band 2) – Bianca Manganiello, Claire Widdowson, Eleanor Dean, Sarah Watson; W J16 1x – Edie Shields; Open 4+ – Oliver Barber, Lewis Barber, Sergio Read, Matt Baker; Op MasB/C 2x – Duncan Graham and Karl Stapleton.
City then made the most of the new mixed masters category with Anna Robotham and Karl Stapleton winning the Mx MasB/C 2x and Jack Ward and Helen Wallace taking the Mx MasG 2x. The club's mixed quad of Erin Ansell-Crook, Wiki Szubzda, James Plum and Toby Ray also topped the podium.
Hannah Pape and Keely Watson backed up their Saturday win with another in the WMas B 2x, and Kate Read was among the winners again, this time in the Mas C/D 4x- alongside Al Ryder, Linda Dennis and Rob Dennis. Bianca Manganiello, Claire Widdowson and Sarah Watson made it three wins in the W4- across the weekend for that combination, this time joined by Olivia Agyapong.
It was also a good day for the club's youngest members. Hugo Letman was in outstanding form, winning the Op J14 2x with Toby Carnaffan before backing it up solo in the Op J14 1x. George Dennis and Matas Lebed doubled up in the J16 2x, and Millie Yule and Edie Shields won the W J16 2x. At the other end of the age range, Ian Palmer took the Op Mas E/F 1x and Duncan Graham added the Op MasB 1x to his Saturday win, while the composite W Mas C/D 2x crew also crossed the line first.
Sunday's City winners: Op Mas E/F 1x – Ian Palmer; Op J14 2x – Hugo Letman and Toby Carnaffan; Op MasB 1x – Duncan Graham; Mx MasB/C 2x – Anna Robotham and Karl Stapleton; Mx MasG 2x – Jack Ward and Helen Wallace; Op J16 2x – George Dennis and Matas Lebed; WMas B 2x – Hannah Pape and Keely Watson; W J16 2x – Millie Yule and Edie Shields; Mas C/D 4x- – Kate Read, Al Ryder, Linda Dennis, Rob Dennis; Op J14 1x – Hugo Letman; Mx 4x – Erin Ansell-Crook, Wiki Szubzda, James Plum, Toby Ray; W Mas C/D 2x – Composite Shields; W4- – Bianca Manganiello, Claire Widdowson, Olivia Agyapong, Sarah Watson.