Wanganui High School's Kayla Spencer and Inga Schwietring are flanked by coaches Ian Weenink (left) and Lance O'Brien after winning gold at the Aon Maadi Cup on Saturday. Photo/Supplied
Wanganui High School's Kayla Spencer and Inga Schwietring are flanked by coaches Ian Weenink (left) and Lance O'Brien after winning gold at the Aon Maadi Cup on Saturday. Photo/Supplied
It was the last race of their regatta, but the Wanganui High School team made it count with gold in the Under 16 double sculls at the Aon Maadi Cup in Twizel.
Kayla Spencer and Inga Schwietring won a closely fought A Final on Lake Ruataniwha on Saturday in 7min44.95sec, with Nelson College for Girls' No1 crew just 0.55s behind them, while Mt Albert Grammar School No1 finished third nearly 4s back.
Spencer and Schwietring's time for the final was lightning compared to the build-up races where they won their heat in 9m 8.82s, then came fourth in the quarter-finals (8m 22.19s) and third in the semis (8m 50.14s).
Taking a record 41 competitors to the South Island, many attending the national secondary schools event to get experience, WHS finished with two medals after the Under 17 Girls coxed four of Spencer (stroke), Sammy Murphy, Taliah Su'a, Nicole Miller and cox Logan Campbell claimed the silver medal on Friday.
Nga Tawa Diocesan School also claimed their second medal of the Maadi Cup with a silver in the U18 coxed quadruple sculls.
Georgia Nugent-O'Leary (stroke), Jackie Gowler, Heather Gee-Taylor, Bayley MacDonald and Savanna Gaskell (cox) finished the A Final in 7m 37.86s, just over 3s behind St Peter's School No1 crew and 3s ahead of third-placed Te Awamutu College No1.
Nugent-O'Leary and Gowler had already claimed gold in the Under 18 Girls double sculls on Friday.
The pair also came fifth teaming with Georgia Kendal, Gee-Taylor and cox Gaskell in the Under 18 Girls coxed fours final, while Nugent-O'Leary was fourth in the Under 18 girls single sculls.
