A number of HGHS students travelled to Twizel for the Rowing New Zealand Club Championships - it was a great success!

Last week myself and six others travelled to Twizel, to compete at the Rowing New Zealand Club Championships. Originally the NZCC were supposed to take place at Lake Karapiro, but the event was moved to Lake Ruataniwha as only the South Island was able to safely run regattas. Due to Covid interruptions, this was the first regatta we had been able to attend all season (which started in October 2021) and we only had two weeks to organise it all.

However, with the limited time and practice we had, our small squad came out with some amazing results!

All of our novices (Amelia Kepa, Mila Graham, Caitlin Silcock, Monique Austin and Waikato Rowing Club coxswains Ella Hansen and Sam Ward) made A Finals in all their respective events! They came out CHAMPIONS, with a gold in the Novice 4x+! while also taking out silver in the Intermediate 4x+ (a grade above). These were the first medals HGHS has won since Georgia Allen in 2014! Mila and Amelia also took a 6th in the Novice 2x, and Monique and Caitlin placed 7th.

Our returners also had amazing results!

In composite boats with Waikato Rowing Club, Gabrielle Austin and Madeline Cox placed 7th in the Coxed Senior 8+. Phoebe Barnes placed 4th in the B Final in the club Coxed 4x+. In the club 1x Phoebe finished 8th in the B Final and Gabrielle placed 3rd in the B Final. The club 2x with Gabrielle and Madeline made an A Final and finished 6th overall.

The week was such an experience and we could not have done it without such amazing support from school as well as our coaches Axel Dickinson, Karl Manson and Bronte Harcourt. The results from this regatta represent how hard the entire squad has been working for the past few months and it all only makes me more excited to see how we can go at Maadi Cup in a few weeks time!