Dunstan High School (DHS) and Cromwell College (CC) rowers performed at their best at the South Island Secondary School (SISS) Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha last weekend (March 1-3), despite the wind impacting racing.

There were 1122 students from more than 45 schools participating over the weekend, with the windy weather causing delays and then resulting in half of the repecharges being cancelled on Saturday afternoon. 

Coach Simon Smith said he was really happy with the results.

“Right now we are in the middle of a big overload, training is going well, a little bit disrupted with school camps, but we’re training as hard as we can and excited looking ahead to Maadi.”

At SISS Rowing Champs DHS scooped three golds, one silver and three bronze medals, making 12 A finals, and eight B finals.  

The three golds were for double sculls with these crews topping the podium; Christopher McIntosh and Max Smith for under 15 (U15), Charli Crosbie and Bella Breen in U15 and Ruby Smith and Bella Breen in U16. 

Bella Breen and Ruby Smith (U16) won a gold in double sculls. PHOTO: Supplied

Niamh O’Docherty in the U17 single scull, where she won silver. PHOTO: Leon Morris

Coxed quad crews of Bella Breen, Ruby Smith, Poppy Tuffin, Phoebe Harrex and Lily Kain (U16) and Tahlia Nelson, Niamh O'Docherty, Ellie King, Emer Bryant and Lily Kain (U17) and U16 double sculls pairing of Max Smith and Christopher McInstosh scored bronze medals. 

Bronze medal winning quad of Dunstan High School U16 rowers (from left) Bella Breen, Ruby Smith, Poppy Tuffin, and Phoebe Harrex with with coach Simon Smith. PHOTO: Supplied 

CC had a smaller squad with 13 students taking part, and they made three B finals.

B finalists were the U16 coxed quad of James White, Ryan Sarginson, Jakub Lapcik, Connor Haig and Harper Rule, the U16 double sculls Connor Haig and Jakub Lapcik, and the U16 double sculls Alyssa Wilson and Ayala Cunningham. 

The rowers' focus now is on the New Zealand Secondary School Championships (also known as the Aon Maadi Cup Regatta) one of the biggest secondary schools sporting events in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere. 

Simon said DHS would have 15 athletes going to Maadi Cup, who were really “hoping to execute well” and build on this past weekend’s results. 

The Maadi Cup will be held March 18 - 23 in Twizel, an event which alternates each year between Lake Karapiro, Cambridge and Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel. 

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