Trials beckon high school pair

TRIALLISTS: The journey begins for Wanganui rowers Kayla Spencer (front) and Jessica Brougham after gaining selection to the national junior trial squad at Lake Karapiro next week.

WANGANUI High School rowers Kayla Spencer and Jessica Brougham have been selected to join the New Zealand junior rowing trials at Lake Karapiro this month.

The selection comes hard on the heels of Brougham and Spencer completing a stellar summer on the water with gold in the girls under-18 double sculls at the 2015 Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro a fortnight ago.

Having medalled at the club nationals for Aramoho Wanganui RC and won gold together for WHS at the Secondary School North Island championships, the two lived up to their favourites tag in the Maadi Cup double sculls final with a 7m 24.83s row which was three seconds quicker than the St Peter's School pair, with Rangiora High School in third.

Chris Harris, former WHS star and fellow AWRC member in elite men's competition, joined the girls and their coach Ian Weenink on the victory dais.

The pair will join other juniors in the squad on April 12. The trials continue until April 18.

Brougham said the selection was "pretty cool".

"Winning the double at Maadi Cup gave us automatic selection to the junior trials, although I had already qualified. We needed to win at Maadi Cup for Kayla to gain selection and she's really happy," Brougham said.

Brougham is in her fifth season rowing, beginning while at Collegiate School. She continued after moving to St Peter's in Waikato and again when moving back to her hometown.

She has since left school and is serious about making rowing her life.

"Winning medals a couple of years ago started a fire in my belly. If we make the national junior squad after the trials we will compete at the junior worlds in Rio in August. If I don't make the team I'll come home and get a job," she said.