Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club members (from left) Jackie Gowler, Heather Gee-Taylor, Georgia Nugent-O'Leary and coxswain Savanah Gaskell are four of seven Wanganui rowers to make North Island or national training squads. Photo/Annie Pawson
Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club members (from left) Jackie Gowler, Heather Gee-Taylor, Georgia Nugent-O'Leary and coxswain Savanah Gaskell are four of seven Wanganui rowers to make North Island or national training squads. Photo/Annie Pawson
Seven Wanganui rowers impressed selectors enough at the Maadi Cup in Twizel last week to be named in North Island or national trials squads.
Nga Tawa girls Georgia Nuget-O'Leary and Jackie Gowler have been named in the wider New Zealand junior trial squad, while schoolmates Heather Gee-Taylor and coxswain SavanahGaskell, along with Kayla Spencer from Wanganui High School, were named in the North Island Under-18 trial squad.
All are members of the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club under coach Ian Weenick, who is rapidly amassing formidable teams throughout all the grades.
Former Wanganui girls Jessica Broughton, who is a student at St Peters in the Waikato, and Sara-Jane Back, who is now at St Margaret's College in Christchurch, are also in the national junior squad. They are also both Aramoho Wanganui members.
Weenick said all seven deserved the recognition through hard work and performance.
"Yeah, it's great, they're all good kids who have worked hard and performed well," he said yesterday.
"Making elite training squads can be achieved in various ways including performances at Maadi Cup, posting fast times in ergs (rowing machines) or at the selector's discretion.
"But no matter how they gained selection, these girls absolutely deserve to be there," Weenick said.
