Our Waka Ama team had a great campaign at nationals, with some excellent results.

This year our campaign started four weeks out from Nationals which made the trial selection very stringent as we reduced the squad from the previous year to fit resourcing i.e. waka availability, gear, experienced steerers. The squad that did go through were mostly experienced paddlers - familiar with the conditions Tikitapu would throw at them. Training was pretty much sorting out crew combinations and race strategies, including one W12 session with Hamilton Boys' High U16s. Despite the limited training window - our coaching team were pretty confident we had a strong squad and the girls had built a positive culture that would carry them through the week.

Our first day in the competition resulted in podium finishes for the J16s W12 mixed crew with HBHS - 3rd place bronze medal in Te Ihu (Championship Final), Ngawaiata Nin - J16 W1 1st place in Te Takere (Plate Final), J19s W12 mixed with Rotorua Boys' High - 3rd place in Te Takere Final. All our W1 paddlers posted in the top 10 fastest times for their respective age groups which is a fantastic result! The rest of the week consisted of W6 racing heats, semis, and finals. All of our crews made a Te Ihu (Championship) semi which is a strong showing for any school. J16s hit the podium first -Te Ihu (Championship final) 3rd place bronze medal for both the 500m (turn) and 250m races, with the J19s Maroon following up with a Te Ihu 2nd place silver medal for 500m (turn) and a hard fought 3rd place bronze medal for 250m.

A point of difference at this year's Nationals was the introduction of Canoe Racing NZ Junior events notably K1 sprints, relays and long distance. So for any students who kayak and love racing - get ready for Nationals 2025!

A massive thanks to our TIC Wheturangi Tepania and Michaela Harris for their support, ensuring our communications were reaching our wider whānau, supporting our students to get to trials, trainings and our week long travel/camp in Rotorua. Jamie Ogilvy coordinating in the background to ensure we had our gear, vans, and trailers for a successful campaign. Ashley Neho J19s Manager and Tracey Ngawhare J16s Manager - ruthlessly efficient in making sure the girls made their races in a cacophony of bass-pumping speakers, race calls and "village" distractions, running logistics for camp, preparing meals for our athletes. It's a voluntary job that can quietly invade your regular life in the week leading up to a campaign - Heoi, teenei te mihi maioha ki a koorua!

To our coach Dan Moeke - his 3rd and possibly final year looking after the waka ama programme for Hamilton Girls' High. One of the few coaches who doesn't have to raise his voice, is quietly respected by his paddlers, someone who enable collaboration with his managers and has guided multiple HGHS crews to Te Takere and Te Ihu finals over the years. He mahi rangatira, he mahi hei eke ki te taumata - teenaa koe e te Piihopa! To our whānau who supported the girls in the build-up to Nationals and in Rotorua - Zara Marra who came in to help at camp - a big mihi to you all!

Finally to the girls - who sacrificed some of their other commitments to get to trainings with their crew, who gave us 100%, who paddled in 'white cap' conditions, who believed in their skills and backed their mates. Teenei te mihi nui ki a koutou! It was a genuine privilege to support you all for the 2024 campaign.

Your 2024 Waka Ama Squad:

J19s Maroon (2nd in NZ W6 500m, 3rd in NZ W6 250m)

Waiokura Moeke

Ngawaiata Nin (1st in W1 250m Plate Final)

Mylove Bennion-Lindsay

Quartez Neho

Shadae Neho (5th in NZ W1 250m)

Nevaeh Tauroa (8th in NZ W1 250m)

J19s Black

Mairerangi Taipeti

Luisa Rauraa

Ashlee Marra

Mihi Edwards

Matire Minhinnick

Kaearahi Pomare

J16s Gold (3rd in NZ W6 500m, 3rd in NZ W6 250m)

Sienna Herbert (5th in NZ W1 250m)

Aysia Smith

Reikura Taipeti

Natalia Paekau

Marion Bennion-Lindsay

Dilhon Raihe