Collegiate reap rewards

GOLD: Wanganui Collegiate's distinctive black and blue quarters graced the podium after the school crew (from left) Tom Gearing (coach), Jonny Matthews, Jack McLeod, Toby Lennox, Luke Gemmell, Elin Cao (coxswain) and Tyler Scott (coach) win Aon Maadi Cup gold in Twizel.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

WANGANUI Collegiate School enjoyed its best Maadi Cup regatta in years when its rowers made 11 A finals and brought home gold, silver and two bronze from Twizel.

This season the Maadi Cup regatta was in Twizel where nigh-on 2200 athletes from 120 schools nationwide competed with Wanganui Collegiate and Wanganui High School rowers producing the best performances of schools from this district competing.

Collegiate's team of 42 boys and girls had a tough four days of heats, repechages and semifinals achieving an excellent collection of 17 finals of which 11 were A finals.

It has been a while since WCS had been in that many finals and a highlight was making the premier boys event, the U18 eight, and therefore competing for the Maadi Cup.

All the boys and girls stepped up again over two days of finals wearing the black and blue quarters bringing home four sets of medals and an agonising near miss by 0.5 second.

Master in charge of rowing Gus Scott said the results were a combination of all the hard work both the rowing squads and the coaching team have been undergoing since the return to school in mid-January camp.

"We are delighted with our new rowing structure and our growth has made these results all the more worthwhile. My biggest thrill is the achievement of 17 finals and the medals are the icing on the cake," Scott said.

Wanganui High School Rowing Club took a squad of 14 to Lake Ruataniwha and the entire squad of 12 rowers and two coxwains all reached finals of which there were 6A and 7B.

Following on from their North Island gold medal win, Matthew Wright and Nathan Luff backed this up by winning the AON Maadi Cup Boys U18 lightweight double gold medal. They then immediately got back in the boat to win the U18 boys double B final. Luff was also successful winning the bronze in the boys U18 single where he shared the podium with two NZ Junior Rowers from 2015.

With a small squad Wanganui High School held its own on and off the water finishing on a high, bringing a successful rowing season to an end.

While WHS is not renowned as a rowing school, the athletes are traditionally affiliated with the Aramoho-Wanganui Rowing Club under the watchful eye of head coach Ian Weenink and talented rowers Luke Watts and James Sandstone.

"The Maadi Cup just seems to be getting bigger every year and the WHS team really does punch well above its weight," Weenink said yesterday.

Weenink has traditionally had some input into the fortunes of several successful Nga Tawa crews in past seasons also affiliated to AWRC, but this year the Rangitikei school is in rebuilding mode after losing most of its topliners.

Meanwhile, Cullinane College, under Union Rowing Club coach Bob Evans, sent a crew of 13, including six boys and seven girls.

Evans said the best result was in the B final of the Boys U18 novice double where Lukus Schillings and Xavier Mohr finished second.

"Other crews made three B finals and we did claim a C final victory. In fact, all Cullinane rowers fared reasonably well." Evans said.

-Collegiate's best results

Girls U16 Coxed Eight, A final, Bronze medal: Laura Francis, Maddie McLean, Maggie O'Leary-Noyer, Bethany Torr, Catherine Pearce, Jamie Harris, He Maari Simon, Ella Goddard and Anna Gower-James.

Girls U18 Lightweight Coxed Four, A Final, Bronze medal: Sarah Byam, Alice Gray, Sophie Back, Katelin Bartlett and Emma Whight.

Boys U18 Novice Coxed Eight, A Final, Silver medal: Jonny Matthews, Luke Gemmell, Tyler Guinea, Jack McLeod, Toby Lennox, Finn Cleary, Camden Abernethy, Harry Davis and Elin Cao.

Boys U18 Novice Coxed Four, A Final, Gold medal: Jonny Matthews, Jack McLeod, Toby Lennox, Luke Gemmell and Elin Cao.