Hail Queen Kristina could be the call to arms at York's St Peter's School, writes Tony Kelly.

Pupil Kristina Stiller is one of only two oarswomen to represent Great Britain at the Munich junior international regatta to be held on May 10-11.

She will steer a double sculling boat stroked by fellow 16-year-old Fern Cotterill of Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire. They will race over the two-kilometre Munich course, which was purpose-built for the 1972 Olympic Games, and they will be up against the cream of Europe's best scullers.

Many of the competitors will be pushing their claims for inclusion in the junior world rowing championships in Banyoles in Spain in August.

Stiller, who comes from Yarm in Teesside, and Cotterill gained selection after strenuous testing alongside the country's dozen best scullers in Britain, who had battled through 150 hopefuls in the Great Britain trials last autumn.

The St Peter's pupil is a relative newcomer to the sport, but over the last six months has dedicated herself to 15 hours a week solid training on the river, on the track and in the gym. The endeavour paid off when she finished first in Great Britain trials in Nottingham.

Updated: 11:16 Friday, April 02, 2004