Siblings to battle Aussies - November 2015

(PHOTO CREDIT - STEVE CAUDWELL) HOME WATERS: Back from training in the States, Wanganui High School student Lily Meade continues her preparation to represent New Zealand at home on Lake Wiritoa.

A winter training spell in North America will have Wanganui waterski siblings Brent and Lily Meade primed for action in the transtasman clash at Piarere in February.

The brother and sister have both been selected for the Oz/Kiwi Team to compete against Australia early next year.

Former WHS student Brent Meade has been chosen for the Under-21 team, while Lilly has made the Under-17 side. The event alternates between New Zealand and Australia each year. The February event will be held at Piarere on the southern tip of Lake Karapiro near Cambridge.

Both Meades have represented New Zealand before and in fact it will be the third time for 15-year-old Lily.

The waterskiing prodigy came away with five medals from the 2015 Water Ski Nationals on her home water at Lake Wiritoa in April.

Meade won best overall for the junior girls after her victories in the trick and jump events, while coming second in the slalom. She then stepped up into the senior competition and came third in the trick for open women.

Since then Brent has spent three months as driver/coach at Cory Pickos Ski in Santa Rose Beach in Florida, while Lily has been training for a month nearby in Orlando. Both skiers are members of the Wanganui Water Ski Club and Lily is currently number one ranked under-17 three-event (slalom, jump and trick) girls skier in the country and also is New Zealand number three ranked in all female skiers in her specialist event trick.

Wanganui president Ron Bakker said the pair had been training hard since arriving back from the United States.

"They will have had to acclimatise since arriving back from an American summer, but they are out there on the lake (Wiritoa) everyday, white caps and all," Bakker said yesterday.

"They are both very worthy of selection to the Oz/Kiwi team."