BIRCHENSALE Middle School is celebrating a 2016/17 indoor rowing season to remember which has included pupils winning multiple honours at district, Midlands and national level.
The Bridley Moor Road school has developed a reputation for rowing enthusiasm among its pupils, who enjoyed a clean sweep of team victories at year five, six, seven and eight level in the Redditch district competition in March.
There was individual success to savour too as Brooke Stanton was crowned year five girls’ winner, Joseph Turnbull year five boys’ victor, Sophie Fitzpatrick year six girls’ winner, Dave Bulley year six boys’ victor, Aleah Cameron-Dawson year seven girls’ winner and Libby Browning year eight girls’ champion.
A month later Birchensale pupils competed in the Midlands Indoor Rowing Championships in which Libby Browning continued her success to become year eight girls’ winner.
There was also team glory as the year nine girls’ relay team of Dagmara Tuchowska (Trinity High School), Omega Miles (RSA Academy Arrow Vale), Divna Dulic (Trinity) and Libby Browning – the only non-rowing club in the competition – took top spot.
The highest level of competition for current or ex-Birchensale rowers was the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships which featured nine year eight pupils and three year nines.
The top boy finished 21st out of 180 and leading girl 13th out of 250. On the same day the girls finished tenth and boys 15th out of 100 teams in the relay events.
Prior to all of this, Brandon Strawbridge (Trinity) finished fourth in the year nine boys’ competition at the National Indoor Rowing Championships in December.
Birchensale PE teacher Paul Homer said: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our indoor rowing pupils who have shown a tremendous commitment to the sport.
“They have progressed from rowing in lessons to inter-house competitions and then district level, before in numerous cases going on to Midlands and national events in a short space of time.”
