Endeavour Rowing Club pair Jack Davey and Robert Weatherall have been crowned state champions after beating a national class field in the men’s under-19 double sculls.
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The Maitland Grossmann High School students won the final by a boat length in a time of six minutes 52.00 seconds, from Griffith University/Surfers Paradise (a composite Queensland crew) in second place and Sydney Rowing Club third.
Crews from Victoria, South Australia and the ACT also competed at the championships.
The 18-year-olds are determined to carry their success to the Combined High School Championship regatta on Monday and to the Australian championships three weeks after that.
Jack and Robert will be racing the double scull at the NSW Schoolboy Head on the Olympic course in Sydney this Sunday.
After winning gold for Endeavour the boys backed up in the schoolboy double sculls for Maitland Grossmann High School.
This time they had to settle for bronze beaten by a Newington crew stroked by Harry Crouch back from representing Australia at last year’s World Junior Championships and Newcastle Grammar in second.
It was an outstanding regatta for Endeavour rowers with Jack finishing seventh in the men’s under-19 single sculls and his sister Bec, 16, making the semi-final of the women’s under-17 single sculls.
Her effort was all the more impressive as it was her first competitive outing over the 2000m course. She also will represent Maitland Grossmann at the CHS championships.
Endeavour Rowing coach Peter Bond said as the NSW Championships was a selection regatta for Australian representation, the regatta was more like a national championships than a state regatta with crews from all over the country.
“In the final Jack and Robert started fast and pushed out to lead over the first 500m,” Bond said.
“They answered every challenge thrown at them down the course, keeping the pressure on and the rhythm flowing.
“With 500m to go, holding a one length lead, they knew they could win even though their strength was fading.
“Adrenaline drove them home to win by a length in 6 minutes 52.00 seconds,”
