BUCS Regatta is one of the few opportunities for students to compete in single sculls on the national stage. At a busy time of year, athletes are busy juggling academic and sporting commitments – trying to find the right balance without sacrificing either grades or speed. With no members of last year’s A Final returning to the category, the racing promises opportunities for fresh faces to stand on the podium and make their mark on the competition.
With the removal of A/B semi-finals from the Intermediate categories in 2024, the time trial leaves no room for error – the top six will move into the A Final, while the medal hopes for the rest will have to wait for another year.
Cambridge University BC: Eloise Etherington
At just 18 years old, Eloise Etherington has already achieved remarkable success in her relatively short sculling career. Only last year, she completed the prestigious triple, winning at the National Schools’ Regatta, Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta in the bow seat of the indomitable Wycliffe College quad. Etherington’s final two summers as a junior entailed back-to-back selections for the GB U19 women’s quad at the World Championships, where in 2023 she won a bronze medal before upgrading to silver in 2024. Most recently, Etherington commenced her studies at Cambridge where, alongside pursuing a BA in Natural Sciences, she was selected for the Blondie crew who beat Oxford’s Osiris by a comfortable four lengths in The Boat Race.
Durham University BC: Anna Grace
One of the most accomplished U23 athletes on the circuit, Durham’s Anna Grace is one of few to have represented Great Britain in sculling and sweep rowing. In 2022, Grace made her international debut in the U23 women’s quad at the European Championships in Hazewinkel, finishing fifth overall. A standout last season saw Grace come together with Newcastle’s Holly Youd, where consistent, strong performances throughout the trialling process eventually culminated in their selection for the World Championships, where they won gold in the U23 women’s pair. Despite a predominant focus on sweep rowing over the past two years, Grace remains one of the most experienced and talented athletes on the circuit. I expect the transition back to sculling will be smooth, making her a dark horse this weekend.
Reading University BC: Shannon Whelehan
A returning competitor in this category, Shannon Whelehan, is familiar with both the racing format and the standard of competition. Representing Reading ‘B’ last year, Whelehan won the C Final to rank an impressive 13th overall in a field of more than 60 scullers. At BUCS Head, she was part of Reading’s lightweight quad that won a silver medal. Although they fell short of gold by a substantial 27 seconds, a further 16.9 seconds separated silver and bronze, highlighting just how fast this crew is capable of going. Reading’s ‘A’ sculler in this category in 2024 was Zara Povey, who won the event by over five seconds. This year, Whelehan has moved up the ranks and is registered as the ‘A’ crew, suggesting we could be expecting big things from the ex-Trentham Boat Club sculler.
Reading University BC: Izzy Lancaster
Returning from injury, Izzy Lancaster doesn’t have much to show for her endeavours this season, but her track record and versatility speak for themselves. Having represented Great Britain twice in Beach Sprint Rowing, including claiming a World Champion title in the U19 mixed double scull, Lancaster has proved she can contend with any conditions thrown at her, and many know Holme Pierrepont rarely offers calm, flat water. At BUCS Head in 2024, Lancaster was part of Reading’s Championship quad that won gold by exactly 21 seconds, and last year at BUCS Regatta, she secured a silver medal. Also racing in the Championship Lightweight Single category last year, Lancaster crossed the finish line an excruciating 0.28 seconds behind third place. With that feeling lingering in the back of her mind, Lancaster will no doubt be putting it all on the line to come away with some silverware as evidence of her hard graft over the past two seasons.
Prediction
With arguably the most domestic and international success under her belt, albeit at a junior level, Eloise Etherington stands out as the frontrunner for the gold medal. Fresh off the high of demolishing Oxford in The Boat Race, Etherington will likely carry Cambridge’s momentum seamlessly into regatta season. That said, the purely-sculling focused programme of Reading University often sees them dominate the sculling events, outpacing crews from predominantly sweep-based programmes. For this reason, I would be surprised if Shannon Whelehan and Izzy Lancaster don’t feature in Sunday’s A Final, and both scullers winning medals wouldn’t be unexpected either. With Anna Grace almost exclusively competing in sweep categories during her time at Durham, it is harder to place her among the pack; however, her relentless nature and bountiful experience will allow her to read the race well and target her pushes strategically, racing to her strengths. With 55 entrants in the category, the remaining two spaces in the A Final are wide open and will be all to play for.
- Eloise Etherington, Cambridge University BC
- Shannon Whelehan, Reading University BC
- Izzy Lancaster, Reading University BC
- Anna Grace, Durham University BC
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