Several Rotorua students got on the podium during this year's Aon Maadi Cup Regatta.
The event is one of the largest on the school sporting calendar. It is made up of six days of racing in which more than 2000 competitors from 120 schools compete in 48 events, requiring 551races to decide the medal winners in each. Hamilton Boys' High School took out the Maadi Cup for the senior boys' eight and the Executive Cup overall title for sweep oar events, but Rotorua high school crews took to the podium for three gold medals and one bronze.
John Paul College's Andre Le Lievre and Conner Broughton took first place in the boys' under-18 novice double sculls. Western Heights High School's Alice West, Olivia Ashby, Hannah Cox, Stacey Tamblin and Phoebe Johnston won the under-17 coxed quad. The boys' under-17 coxed four was won by Western Heights High School's Lewis Morrell, Bradley Grant, Stephen Wright, Conner Spackman and Keely Gage. Morrell and Grant also won bronze in the boys' under-17 double sculls.
Le Lievre and Broughton were eligible to enter the under-15 events but chose to compete in the under-18s. Their coach Harry Ashby said they raced to plan and sculled very well. Le Lievre said it was the duo's hardest race.
The Western Heights girls' team had to battle for their trophy. Coach Chris Pearson said races didn't come much closer or harder than the one they had on the weekend. He said it came down to the surge of the boats at the finish.
Meanwhile, the Western Heights under-17 coxed four's goal is to go for gold and the Springbok Shield in the prestigious under-18 coxed four at the 2014 Maadi regatta in Twizel.
