Sixteen national rowing medals came home this week from Lake Karapiro for the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, including four golds.

A squad of 60 athletes represented the club at the New Zealand Rowing Championships.  

The Men’s Senior Double Sculls, Women’s Senior Double Sculls, Women’s Senior Coxless Quad Sculls and Men’s Senior Coxless Quad Sculls were all first in their events.

Dunstan High School student Bella Breen, at just 15, is one of youngest athletes the club has seen perform at senior level.

Bella was also awarded a senior pin - a prestigious award presented to members of gold medal winning crews in Senior grade events at a national level.

As well as her gold in the Senior Double Sculls with Madison Neale, Bella also won bronze as part of the Women’s Senior Coxless Quad Sculls - the same race that was won by her team mates Emma Spittle, Olivia Key, Olivia Piebenga and Millie Scott.

DARC head coach Simon Smith with some of female medal winners at the nationals. Image: supplied

The Men’s Senior Double Sculls was won by Henry Clatworthy and Matt O’Meara, who then teamed up with Charlie Manser and Harry Lightfoot to take out the Mens Senior Coxless Quad Sculls.

Head coach Simon Smith said it was such a phenomenal thing to be performing at that level with the best in the country, “and it was fantastic seeing that happen.”

The club also has four U-23 rowers trialling for New Zealand - Jack Pearson, Mathew King, Finn Allison and Madison Neale.

“We’re constantly trying to evolve and grow,” he said.

The focus is now on the 15 Dunstan High School rowers that will carry on training for the South Island Secondary Schools and the Maadi Cup in March.

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