Waikanae IRBs in the medals

ON THEIR WAY IN: Waikanae under-23 team members (from left) patient Silke McNaught, crewman Oliver Shivnan and driver Connor Mitchell won three of the four gold medals up for grabs in their division of the North Island IRB champs at Paekakariki Beach.

WAIKANAE's IRB teams scored a stack of medals at the BP North Island inflatable rescue boat championships at Paekakariki at the weekend, including three of the four gold medals in the under-23 division.

Connor Mitchell and Oliver Shivnan, with patient Silke McNaught, won gold in the u23 assembly race, the mass rescue and the tube rescue.

They won bronze this year in the single rescue event, after they took all four titles in the u22 division in 2019.

“We did exceptionally well at the weekend as a crew and the overall team effort by all our crews was outstanding,” Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae head IRB coach Mitchell said.

“All teams have been training hard together and on their own, and the results showed that.”

Mitchell said the club's open women's team put in an absolute effort over the weekend.

“They have signalled this will probably be their last year, and they raced so well against the current world champions Sunset from Port Waikato.

“They gained some interest from the New Zealand selectors.”

The club's newy formed u19 men's team of driver Harry Allan, crewman Travis Mitchell and patient George Allan won gold in the u19 mass rescue, and a bronze in the single rescue event.

The u19 women's team of driver Holly Hope, crewman Aoife Fyall and patient Emily Horne won bronze in the u19 tube rescue and mass rescue events.

Britta Carroll (driver), Ana Naden (crew) and Emily Horne (patient) won silver in the open women's mass rescue, and bronze in the tube rescue and single rescue.

Waikanae finished fourth overall on points.

Mitchell and Shivnan raced exceptionally well in the New Zealand trial held as part of the championships.

They had wins in the mass rescue and the single rescue, and several second and third placings against the top open teams in the North Island.

They finished second-ranked team in the trial and now await news on whether they will represent New Zealand at this year's world surf lifesaving championships in Europe.

Mitchell said the focus now would be on the New Zealand championships at Ruakaka in Northland in April.

Pictures by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services