Kayaking: Kudos for Tauranga at NZ champs

Tauranga paddlers featured heavily as the NZCT New Zealand whitewater kayaking championships wrapped up over the weekend in Kawerau.

Callum Gilbert (Tauranga Boys') took out the prestigious Phil Dooney Cup for overall excellence across four under-18 disciplines, winning the C1, K1, Downriver sprint and Classic.

Gilbert's senior K1 performance was particularly noteworthy, clocking 77.22secs and finishing more than seven seconds in front of rising Australian Christopher Fegan.

Fegan was part of an 18-strong contingent from the Australian national talent squad, joining more than 20 New Zealand schools at the championships.

Gilbert's C1 margin over Nelson's Tommy McDowell (Nayland College) was much closer, finishing in 97.46, just 2.5secs ahead of McDowell.

Tauranga Girls' College star Haylee Dangen won the Heather Jull trophy for overall senior female excellence, although she had to bow to Deahna Shearer (Dunstan High) and Jessica Bailey (Mt Aspiring College) in the senior girls' K1.

Bailey had the fastest time, a slick 90.86 in her second run, but picked up a couple of two-second time penalties to drop her behind fellow South Islander Shearer, who won with a 93.83 effort.

Dangen comfortably won the C1 with a clear run of 113.36, putting her 2.24secs head of Australian Alexandra Broome, with Kaydi O'Connor-Stratton (Mount Maunganui College) a further 17secs back in third.

Gilbert's schoolmate Patrick Washer won the TBC Cup in the under-16 division, while Alexandra's Kensa Randle clean-swept the under-16 girls division to win the Ella and Jane Nicholas Trophy.

In the under-14 classes, Bethlehem College's Claudia Paterson won the girls division while Okere Falls' Zack Mutton was too strong in the boys' division.

Tauranga Boys' College wrested back the overall Top School Trophy, heading off Nelson co-ed college Dunstan High School, who won the top Girls School team title.