Meade ropes in another junior title - April 2016

(PHOTO CREDIT - STEVE CAUDWELL) CHAMPION AGAIN: WHS student Lily Meade won another girls' title at the nationals in Canterbury last week.

WHANGANUI waterskiier Lily Meade made it another national junior title while competing strongly in the open women's division at the NZ Water Ski Nationals in Dunsandel last weekend.

Older brother Brent Meade (former student) also finished runnerup in the Under 21 men's division while earning a jumps placing in the open men's grade on Lake Crichton - a man-made waterskiing facility in the Canterbury countryside.

Competition was held over the March 21-28 period.

Lily Meade was clearly the competitor to beat in the Girls division and would win all three disciplines of trick, slalom and jump to claim the overall title.

Father Simon Meade said while his daughter dominated the preliminary slalom and trick events, her initial jumps didn't go well.

"Missing her first two, she had to land the third for overall and to get through to the jump final.

"With her smallest jump of the season she made second seed and into the final."

Entering the finals sections, in the slalom Lily Meade faced a fairly strong headwind, and nearly fell when travelling 55km/h on a 18.25m pass, and getting a little out of shape on the water.

However, she hung on and got the win, then was a clear winner in the tricks with a 3700 points total, which combined with the jumps victory saw her to the crown.

Meade was one of only four open women's skiers who had qualified for all three disciplines at that level, although others were in various grades.

Simon Meade said his daughter was seeded second in tricks, which made expectations harder than just being an underdog.

"Lily tricked well and only missed one toe O from her run to score 3600 points which was enough to place second behind last year's champion, 21-year-old Georgia O'Connell from Auckland."

The slalom event was a very early 7.40am start in cool and foggy conditions, with Meade having to start at the 55km/h speed rather than working up to it, and finished fifth in a learning experience.

Her open jump was held not long after the Girls jump final, and she got a little early on to the ramp but still made a 30m effort, which was enough for fourth in the event as she had to also settle for fourth overall.

In Brent Meade's Under 21 campaign, the slalom was one of the bigger divisions and he ran well to be third seed for the final.

His trick was not as impressive but in a smaller field he made the final, while in the jump division he made the final but nearly ended up with the "classic crash" award for the entire week as well.

After missing his first landing and busting his helmet, Brent Meade made a 33m leap on his second attempt before his big smash on the third.

Simon Meade said the tailwind was pushing his son down the course and the three-quarter cutback was a little late.

"He tried to jump the corner of the ramp. Unfortunately this kicked him forward and he landed on his face and the bottom of the shallow lake."

However, the finals went much better as Brent Meade maintained third spot in the slalom, tricked for 1480 points to be third there, and did much better in the jump with his 43.3m effort securing second and giving him second overall for his best nationals result.

Brent Meade had also qualified for the open men's jump, with the goal of just making a good distance, given he was the eighth seed.

"On his last jump he managed a 44.3m, which was a fairly decent effort in the tailwind but not huge by Open Men's standards," said Simon Meade. "However, this is the nationals and the pressure on skiers can mean that things don't always turn out as you expect and as it transpired Brent's score got him the bronze medal by 100mm - one very happy 19-year-old skier."

(Wanganui Chronicle 4/4/16)