STOURPORT Boat Club juniors helped the West Midlands squad to third place at the National Junior Inter-Regional Championships.

Seven of Stourport's junior rowers were selected for the West Midlands squad by racing in previous qualifying events.

Elizabeth Davis and Eleanor Jones (WJ14 2x) secured their place with a superb row at Worcester in late March, competing against the top juniors in the region over two 800m sprints and winning with a time of 7.14, 24 seconds quicker than their nearest opposition.

At the Oarsport Junior Sculling Championships also held in March, at the 2012 Olympic rowing venue Eton Dorney, the WJ15 coxed quad crew of Annabelle Murphy, Molly Clarke, Sophie DiMambro, Christina Butcher and coxed by Harriet Murphy qualified after beating all other clubs in the West Midlands.

The Inter Regional Championships is contested between all of the 12 British Rowing Regions, racing over 1500-meters with the heats timed. The fastest six crews go through to the A-Final with the others into the B-Final, where both Stourport crews were successful in qualifying for the A finals.

Racing against the top juniors in the country, both crews rowed extremely well to qualify for the A finals later in the day. In six lane, side-by-side racing, the WJ14 double crew came fourth and the WJ15 quad came in fifth position in the finals.

Using a points system, the West Midlands squad improved last years overall position by two places, coming in third behind London Thames and Thames Upper.

Jane Sullivan, West Midlands junior squad manager, said: "Stourport junior rowers have performed superbly at the Championships getting to the A finals and helping the Region to third place in the Country, which is outstanding"