PETER JONES

Marlborough’s student rowers completed their preparation for the forthcoming Maadi Cup regatta with a series of strong performances at the South Island secondary schools’ championships on Lake Ruataniwha on March 2-3.

In what was described as “another great hit out for the boys and girls”, athletes from Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges featured in plenty of A finals and brought home seven medals.

The MGC contingent reached nine A finals, bagging medals of all three colours.

Striking gold was the under-16 coxed four of Molly Wilkes (cox), Eliza Glover in the stroke seat, Georgette Herkt, Anna Hurren and Trinity Rose-Locke who rowed superbly to take out the final, shading opposing crews from the big Christchurch schools. The under-18 coxed four of Molly Wilkes (cox), Jessica Bennett (s), Mila Van Rensburg, Grace Straker and Hazel Glover settled for silver while Grace Straker and Mila van Rensburg bagged bronze in the under-17 double.

The U18 quad of Bennett, Ella Barnes, Abby Craig, Hazel Glover and cox Georgia Marfell finished fourth, as did the U18 eight of Wilkes (cox), Bennett (s), van Rensburg, Straker, Barnes, Craig, Hazel Glover, Olive Patterson and Iris Vavasour.

The 18-strong MBC contingent also enjoyed a highly-successful trip south, reaching eight A finals and claiming four medals, three silver and one bronze.

The under-15 coxed octuple scull crew of Matthew McLeod, Jesse Englefield, Toby Randall, Beau Webber, Paddy Girling, Archie Saggers, Brodie Blick, Jack Taylor and cox Jack Shaw finished second, while McLeod, Randall, Webber, Saggers and Shaw combined in the under-15 coxed quad to also bag silver.

Also finishing runner-up was the under-17 pair of Louis Girling and Blake Campbell, while the under-16 coxed quad crew comprising Aidan Bennett, Willem Rowe, Logan Flight, Hunter Marfell and cox Blake Marfell were rewarded with a bronze in their final. Fourth in his A final was under-16 single sculler Flight. The college contingent heads back to Ruataniwha on Thursday for the prestigious Maadi Cup regatta, which runs from March 18-23.