This year, Kaiapoi High School has been represented by a small squad of five girls, who have been rowing out of the Cure Rowing Club, in Kaiapoi, for the 2017-2018 season.

Initially, rowing in boats with Rangiora High School girls, the squad competed solely for our school in the final two regattas of the season (The South Island Secondary Schools' Championships, and the Aon Maadi National Schools' Championships).

Having trained in several types of boat, the girls entered into the U15 Coxed Quad Sculls (two oars each rower) and the U18 Novice Coxed Four (one oar each rower). Unfortunately, the squad scratched from the Semi-Final of the Quad due to illness, but rowed a personal best time by 10 seconds, to finish second in the B Final of the Novice Four. This placed them in the Top Ten boats of their event, and is a significant achievement at the National Schools' Regatta, against the best of North and South Island schools.

Congratulations and thanks go to the squad and to their coaches, Armin Svoboda and Regan Southon, mother of the coxswain. Regan has given her time voluntarily to train both the Kaiapoi and Rangiora girls squads. What a fantastic result for the many hours of hard training that the girls have given to the sport!

The team photo shows the squad from left to right:

Isabella Ewins (Year 10)

Tyla Smart (Year 10)

Madi Broadley (Year 9) – Coxswain

Beth Dunbar (Year 9)

Neve Sinclair (Year 9)