Zwartkops supreme in rowing

A TEAM of 12 rowers from Zwartkops Rowing Club excelled at the 40th national schools championships at Roodeplaat Dam in Pretoria at the weekend.

More than 1000 rowers from South Africa and neighbouring countries participated in the event in which Zwartkops claimed five first places, one second and one third.

Club members also collected a total of 16 gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes, and won the overall points trophy.

"I am extremely proud of all the rowers as they have trained hard during the season and excelled themselves," head coach Rose Brunette said.

Three rowers – Herman Dorfling, Tatiana Pitsiladi and Jade Hanbidge – have been invited to the regional selections this weekend for the team to compete at the South African Festival of Rowing in Pretoria on April 12 and 13, and to the trials for the national junior development team to compete in Ghent in Belgium next month.

• Rowers from St Andrew's and DSG also excelled in the event.

The St Andrew's under-15A side took the silver medal in the octuple race, while the club had two teams in the open fours A final, coming third and fifth. The St Andrew's first eight comfortably qualified for the final, where they ended with the silver medal.

They came sixth overall, an excellent effort considering they were one of the smallest contingents in the top 10.

In the girls' U15 sculls, DSG's Caitlin Conroy qualified for the A final, where she ended fourth.

The highlight for DSG came when the girls' U16 quads (Emma Conroy - cox, Carlotta da Costa, Caitlin Little, Sipho Thabede and Emma Moses) picked up the bronze medal in the 2000m event.