Hunter River Dragons win bronze at national championship

Competing against the best in Australia, the dragons' senior A women's team excelled and won bronze in the 200m small boat race.

In the state vs state competition the NSW A team, which had four Hunter River Dragons members, won three silver medals, and the NSW B team, which had two Hunter River Dragons, won two gold medals and one silver.

Over the course of the event 24 dragons competed in mixed and women's open races of 200m, 500m and two kilometres, and reached the grand final of every race.

AusChamps was held at Champion Lakes Regatta Centre in Perth from Wednesday, April 17 to Sunday, April 21.

Club president Kerrie Greenhalgh said head coach Harmony Wilson, who was on the NSW team, had a vigorous training program in place for the paddlers, which was integral to their great result.

The team members were waking up early for extra training, attending the gym and undergoing fitness testing ahead of the event.

"Our coach Harmony Wilson has really honed them, she was really strict she really honed them well," Greenhalgh said.

"She worked so hard getting them there, she's done a phenomenal job."

Greenhalgh said the results were "really phenomenal".

"For a tiny club that comes from a tiny town in the Hunter Valley, it's incredible. We're so chuffed, we're so excited," she said.

The team was sponsored by Steggles to help them make the journey to Perth.

"I'm incredibly proud of them, they are such an asset. They're wonderful people, they are a wonderful team and the camaraderie of this particular club is phenomenal, they just go for it," Greenhalgh said of the team.

"They just do their very, very best in everything they do."

The club has members from 14-years-old to 84-years-old.