ALICE Millest, of Pembroke College, is the new president of the Oxford University lightweight women's rowers, writes Mike Rosewell.

She was a member of the Oxford lightweight crew, who suffered defeat by Cambridge in the Henley Boat Races last spring, following a four-year winning streak.

Alex Cavell stays as coach and a number of returning athletes and some new ones have produced good results in the Pairs Head, the Fours Head and the British Indoor Championships.

At the last-named, the Oxford Women's Lightweights secured six places in the top 20 of the BUSA competition.

Seven triallists achieved personal bests, while Linda Reynard, from Linacre, recorded a time under 7min 30secs to finish fifth.

Sarah Cornick, like Millest and Reynard a returning Boat Race performer, was runner-up in the university's sportswoman- of-the-year.

This was well-deserved, given that she has made no less thanfewer Boat Race appearances, both openweight and lightweight, and was selected for the British team earlier this year.

The lightweights have secured three small deals for this academic year with Deloitte, KPMG and Mindbench.

After a short break, the squad departs for Hazewinkel, Belgium, on New Year's Day.