Local rowers compete in NZ champs
Rowing team’s hard efforts made their club and town proud says coach
Te Awamutu Rowing Club girls’ squad competed at the 2024 New Zealand Club Rowing Championships at Lake Karāpiro last week with around 1000 competitors from around the country.
The girls that competed rowed their hearts out and made for a very successful regatta for the club.
Coach Alya Mexted said the rowers made their club and town proud.
Commentators said on how good it was to see “little ol’ TA up the pointy end of the field”.
It was a week filled with close intense racing, hot summer weather and no wind which made for great rowing conditions.
Last Tuesday, day one, consisted of heats where the Mexted coached intermediate doubles crew of Asarina Johnson and Casey Lee Baker, placed first. This gave them a semifinal spot and where all other crews made it through to the repechages (second chance).
Day two was repechage day. Te Awamutu’s novice double crew of Maiara Moimoi and Tessa Chappell, also coached by Mexted, won their repechage and secured a place in the semifinals.
Te Awamutu Rowing Club’s women’s intermediate quad crew of Asarina Johnson, Maiara Moimoi, Tessa Chappell and Casey Lee Baker, coxed by Isla Joyce and coached by Mexted, also won their repechage to secure a semifinal berth.
Their women’s novice quad of Elizabeth Rice, Maiara Moimoi, Aria Manning and Ayla Crowley, coxed by Pua Jacob and coached by Mexted, placed second in their repechage, making their way into a semifinal.
The women’s intermediate doubles crew of Isla Joyce and Ella de Malmanche coached by Mexted, narrowly missed the semifinals by two strokes after placing third in their repechage.
Day three was semifinal day with Te Awamutu competing strongly and taking spots in four finals.
The women’s intermediate double placed third for an A final spot; women’s novice doubles placed sixth, B final; women’s intermediate quad — third, A final and the women’s novice quad placed eighth, B final.
Te Awamutu Rowing Club finals results
Women’s intermediate double: A final — 5th (5th in New Zealand for event).
Women’s intermediate quad: A final — 4th (4th in New Zealand for event).
Women’s novice double: B final — 2nd (10th in New Zealand for event).
Women’s novice quad: B final — 4th (12th in New Zealand for event).
As the girls were competing, the rest of the club were at the start-line fundraising for a new octuple boat.
An octuple is one of the biggest boats, seating eight rowers plus a coxswain.
Each rower has a set of sculling blades/oars each — different to an
eight which rowers only have one sweep oar each.
The school rowers have two more regattas until the season is over with
a selected few travelling to Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel in mid-March to compete at the 2024 Aon Maadi Regatta (New Zealand Secondary
Schools Rowing Regatta).
To keep up to date with Te Awamutu Rowing Club’s results, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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