Lake Karapiro was a busy place last week with trials for the elite and under 23 teams under way followed over the weekend by the North Island Secondary Schools Regatta.
Five local schools headed north for a dress rehearsal for the Maadi Cup Regatta in two weeks time. The Collegiate School took the largest team with 58 rowers involved in 47 crews of which 14 made A-Finals.
The following came home with medals: Gold: Boys' Under 17 single sculls: Anton Possegger, Boys' Under 18 novice coxed four: Dylan Matthews, Jonathan Osborne, Hamish Kelt, Oscar Nesbitt and Storm Lacy (cox); Silver: Boys' Under 17 coxed four: James Alexander, Guy Boon, Lockie Hobbs, James Clark and Emily Gray (cox), Girls' Under 18 eight: Jessica Brougham, Grace McMurray, Millie Bidwill, Elizabeth Norman, Kate Hoskin, Stephanie Thwaite, Stephanie Oliver, Renee Oliver and Millie Holden (cox), Girls' Under 17 eight: Jessica Brougham, Grace McMurray, Tessa Karauria, Elizabeth Norman, Kate Hoskin, Brooke Osborne, Kate Gower-James Jenna van Dort and Millie Holden (cox); Bronze: Boys' Under 17 eight: James Alexander, Guy Boon, Lockie Hobbs, Edward Phelps, James Clark, Oliver Lee, Dylan Cleaver, Louis Le Lievre and Emily Gray (cox).
Wanganui High School was also well represented with 46 rowers involved in 33 crews of which seven made A-Finals. The following came home with medals: Silver: Girls Under 16 single sculls: Kayla Spencer; Bronze: Girls' Under 17 Coxed quadruple sculls: Sara-Jane Back, Sammy Murphy, Annabelle Schurhammer, Kayla Spencer and Reuben Gedye (cox); Boys' Under 17 single sculls: Hugh Pawson.
Kayla Spencer must have been one of the busiest rowers over the three days as she raced over the 2000m course 12 times.
Nga Tawa School had 17 girls racing in 10 crews with 4 making A-Finals. Jackie Gowler and Georgia Nugent-O'Leary won a silver medal in the Girls Under 17 double sculls. Wanganui Girls' College had 14 girls out on the water with two crews making A-Finals in the Under 16 coxed four and coxed quadruple sculls. The same four girls rowed in both these crews, namely; Phillipa Evans, Millie Thomson, Renee Harrison, Stacey Wyatt and Brylee Thomson (cox). Cullinane College were represented by 11 rowers out on the lake in 13 crews.
In the race for the Boys Under 18 eights the first seven crews all rowed under 6 minutes with Hamilton Boys High School recording a time of 5m 42.67s which bettered their time of 5m 45.98s which they had recorded in the Mighty River Power Junior Regatta a fortnight ago. The race for the Maadi Cup should see a great contest in 2 weeks time. The Girls' Under 18 eight was won by the Waikato Diocesan School in a time of 6m 48.34s finishing 4s ahead of the Collegiate School crew.
Prior to this the trials were held for the elite and under 23 teams. Mention of this was made in Tuesday's Chronicle recording the inclusion of rowers with Wanganui connections, Kerri Gowler, Rebecca Scown and Sarah Gray in the team together with coaches Richard Tonks, Calvin Fergusson and Ian Wright who all began their rowing careers on the Wanganui River.
The most interesting feature of the trials was the failure of Picton's Joseph Sullivan to make the team. He made a late start to the domestic scene this summer and among other things competed in the Coast to Coast Race.
Nevertheless as a rower he has always shown that he knows how to win races. He first appeared on the scene at the Maadi Cup Regatta in 2003 and over the next three years won eight gold medals for Queen Charlotte College. He rowed in the World Junior Championships in 2005 winning a bronze medal and in the World Under 23 Championships from 2007 to 2009 winning three gold medals. Since then he has won gold medals at World Cup and World Championship Regattas culminating in the gold medal at the London Olympics last year.-->-->