York's Caroline Jones has battled her way through to the Amateur Rowing Association's National Junior Rowing and Sculling Spring Trials.

Despite the serious disruption to her training schedule because of prolonged flooding of the River Ouse in recent months she has been the first City of York female rower to be accepted for the trials for many years.

Her form was assessed after an excellent performance in her single scull test over the new 1,000 metre course at Eton.

That was followed by three days of arduous racing in double sculls and quadruple sculls.

The programme included up to ten highly-competitive 1000 metre races each day.

Although Jones was not included in the crew selected for the Munich Junior International Regatta in May, she hopes to go on to the final National trials in July where crews will be selected for the World Junior Rowing Championships and the European Junior Championships, the Coupe de la Jeunesse.

Two of last year's juniors from the club have done well in their first year at University.

Matthew Seymour rowing for St Anne's college, Oxford, won his 'Blade' in the University Torpids Regatta held over three days in Oxford.

David Tinkler, who doubled with Seymour when they were at York, now rows for Downing College, Cambridge and was in the Cambridge Lightweight Eight beaten by Oxford by half a length in the Annual Henley Boat Races.

Updated: 09:51 Tuesday, April 03, 2001