Rowers haul in medals at contest - March 2015

Wanganui High School rowers landed five gold medals at the Aon NZ North Island Secondary School Championships at the weekend.

WHS rowers also picked up three silvers and a bronze at the Lake Karapiro event, while Wanganui Collegiate School got a bronze medal through their Under 17 coxed four crew.

Jessica Brougham and Kayla Spencer continued their strong partnership with gold in the Girls Under 18 double sculls, then silver together in the U18 coxless pair oars.

Brougham then won a gold in the Girls Under 18 single sculls.

WHS had a great day in the Under 16 double sculls, with Ally Bennett and Taliah Su'a winning the Girls A Final, while Ben Tijsen-Cox and Charlie Quirk claimed gold in the Boys race.

Bennett and Su'a also crewed with Liberty Bracegirdle, Rylee Dudley and cox Niamh Mullany to get a silver in the Girls Under 16 coxed quadruple sculls.

WHS's other gold medal came from the Boys Under 15 coxed quadruple sculls, won by Jonty Thomson, Luke Forrester, Luke Thornton, Levi Carroll and cox Jack Clark.

The school was also strong in the Boys Under 17 double sculls, as Matthew Wright and Guy Thomson got silver while Nathan Luff and Brodie Manson claimed bronze.

Collegiate's Tom Sutherland, Sam Redmayne, Hugo Bidwill, Liam O'Leary and cox Zeal Hanna claimed the bronze for their school in the U17 coxed four. The other A Final the school made saw Hamish Maxwell and Hugo Bidwill come fourth in the Under-18 coxless pair oars.

Nga Tawa Diocesan School made it into two A Finals for the Girls Under 15 double and coxed quadruple sculls, but did not medal.

Next on the calender will be the Maadi Cup - the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Championships - on Lake Karapiro, March 23-29.