JUNIOR crews from Evesham smashed course records and came home with a brace of medals from the National Rowing Championships.

Staged at the world-class National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, Nott-ingham, the three-day event over a 2000m course attracted top crews from around the country.

One of the most hotly contested events was the Open Junior 14 coxed quad. The Evesham crew of Will Tew, Oli Staite, Rory Sullivan and Danny Sadler, coxed by Adam Fensome, knew they faced stiff competition racing against crews from Windsor Boys, Hampton and Latymer Upper Schools who had swept the board at the National Schools Regatta in May.

Extra training has paid off as the boys won the first heat last Friday before claiming third in the semi-final to seal a place in Sunday's final.

Conditions weren't ideal in the searing heat with some having to be helped from their boats after their events.

The Evesham crew, though, kept their cool and rowed a textbook race despite a slow start that put them in fifth place at 250m.

Their coxswain called for a push at 400m and the boys surged through to level with the leaders. They held their position for the rest of the race and, in the last 250m, were neck-and-neck with Windsor.

The two crews crossed the line together and there was an agonising few minutes as officials studied the photo before declaring Windsor the winners by three-hundredths of a second with both having beaten the course record.

The Junior 16 women's coxed four also collected a medal courtesy of Emma Purfield, Becky Wood, Sara Howe and Chloe Farrar and cox Ellie Shrimpton.

The girls qualified on Friday when they came second in the heat - a result that put them straight through to Sunday's final.

While the gold and silver medal positions were in no doubt as George Heriot School and Henley Rowing Club led the race in the last third, there was a tussle for bronze.

The Evesham girls used their strength and experience to fend off strong crews from Aberdeen Schools and Haberdashers Monmouth to secure their medal.

The women's Junior 15 coxed quad qualified for the final of their event after coming second in their heat on Friday but missed out on the medals in a hotly contested final that was won by Maidenhead RC.