NORTHWICH Rowing Club’s latest crop of talented teenagers hope they moved a step closer to international selection at the weekend.

They sent eight, probably the largest contingent so far, to the latest assessment for the British junior team in Boston.

George Lawton and Harry Taylor shone, classifying as the second-fastest under 18s boys’ double scull on Saturday.

Clubmates Greg Murphy and Kevin Dudley ranked 11th the same day, and improved to ninth on Sunday.

Matthew Roberts joined forces with Matthew Strickland-Baker, of Grange School Rowing Club, in the same category.

For the girls, Beth Willford-Dutton and Lucy Gillbanks were 15th and 21st respectively in a time trial for under 18s girls’ single scullers.

In a double the following day, they were fifth-fastest.

Imogen Wolstencroft placed inside the top 20 among an under 16s girls’ single while Grange School student Rachel Ozsanlav-Harris, representing Warrington, was seventh in the same boat class.

More than 300 youngsters took part over two days, and they now wait to find out if they will be invited to the next trial at the end of March.

A first regatta of the campaign is scheduled for May.

“To return home with such excellent results from a field that big shows what talent we have at our small club,” said coach Rachel Hooper.

“To simply qualify for an event like that takes a huge amount of effort, but all their hard training over the winter has been rewarded.”

Meanwhile Northwich claimed seven category wins during Saturday’s Trafford Head on the Bridgewater Canal.

Hannah Cooney (IM2), Anya George (under 18s) and Katherine Schofield (under 16s) were all victors in a women’s single scull.

Schofield then combined with Emma Pullan in an under 16s girls’ double to record a second success of the day, while George and Cooney teamed up with Abigail Davies and India Trigg to take the IM2 quad title.

Second-placed Queen’s Park High School were more than half-a-minute adrift.

The same line-up, with Jess Swindells taking over from Davies, were fastest of the under 18s girls’ quads.

Oliver Scragg and Aidan French secured another Northwich win in an under 13s boys’ double.

Grange School Rowing Club duo Brad Strickland-Baker and Harry Barker were runners-up behind Warrington in an under 14s boys’ double.