Pupils put to rowing test

KEEP GOING: Curtis Hickman, of Newbridge, receives plenty of encouragement. INSET: Royton and Crompton’s Samuel Atkinson shows the strain.

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FACES twisted as they call on every ounce of energy, youngsters got a taste of rowing without taking to the water.

More than 200 pupils from nine schools converged on Oldham Sports Centre to try their hand in a special indoor rowing competition.

Children from Years Six to 11 were put through their paces in a team event staged over distances of up to 4,000 metres.

Organised by Nick Barr, of Oldham Sports Development, and Oldham Community Leisure’s Kelly Tattersall, the idea was to introduce rowing as a form of exercise for youngsters.

times

Teams of four used a relay system to cover the distance.

All the times are entered on the Concept 2 website — Concept 2 manufacture rowing machines — where schools from all over the country, who signed up for the competition, are given a national ranking.

It ends in March when the top schools are announced.

Steve Tyrrell, competitions’ manager at Oldham Sports Development, said: “It was aimed at those children who do not take part in the more traditional sports, such as football, netball, hockey and rugby.

“Rowing is a great way to exercise. It aids all aspects of physical fitness, such as cardiovascular and muscle strengthening, without suffering the bumps and bruises of contact sports.”

Winning teams and times were —

Year Seven: Girls, Blue Coat (G Bennett, C Dean, N Harrison, K Henstock) 5 minutes 59 seconds; Boys, Blue Coat (F McDonald, M Lawton, J Jones, H Adderley) 4:11.

Year Eight: No girls; Boys, Grange (S Uddin, K Makareem, O Salea, D Mehmad) 5:49;

Year Nine: Girls, Hathershaw (P Dey, K Quinn, T Patel, P Vekria) 4:42; Boys, Counthill (P Fitzsimmons, J Queenan, M Gupta, J Harvey), 3:58.

Year 10: Girls, North Chadderton (L Kelly, M Howe, L Meadows, J Whittaker) 4:31; Boys, North Chadderton (J Newall, D Urmson, J Shoel, L Ramsbottom) 4:00.

Year 11: Girls, Crompton House (N Wood, C Taylor, L Wall, S Cole), 4:44; Boys, Crompton House (A Reilly, T Lowe, T Lee, N Allen) 3: 44.

Best special school: Newbridge (S Newton, N Bryant, J Hylton, M Fennelly) 5;56.

Best primary school: Parish Church (D Jones, S Mustary, A Bescoby, A Hussein) 6:26