A group of Hauraki Plains College rowers took to the water at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel for the Maadi Cup from March 23-28.
The New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Regatta saw many Hauraki rowers secure top 10 placings, including Cameron Churchill and Blake Leach, who snapped up a silver medal in the Boys U18 Double Sculls and Frankie Neal and Vaughn Stanton, who claimed bronze in the Boys U18 Novice Double Sculls.
But it doesn’t end there.
Blake also claimed silver in the Boys U17 Single Sculls.
The young rower told The Profile it was “insane” because of the “pressure on the line” to do well.
“The amount of people watching online and there in person was a fantastic experience,” he said.
His two medals were a sign that all his training “paid off”, he said, and he was also “pretty stoked” to get nominated for the North vs South U18 held in April at Lake Karapiro.
Fellow row-bro Cameron Churchill, 17, said he felt he worked so hard for not only the past six months of the row season, but for the past four years. “I have pushed myself for that moment in my U18 Double race where we won silver in the whole of New Zealand,” he said.
“I have sacrificed so many social things with my friends so I can focus on getting physically better and improving my rowing, and it paid off. I also feel that not many people actually realise how hard it is to even achieve a top 10 placing at Maadi so I am just proud of myself.”
The determination and passion from the team of Hauraki rowers was crystal clear.
It was also made obvious earlier in the month when they competed at the North Island Secondary School Rowing Championships where they landed a top 7 ranking overall and clinched not one or two but eight medals, including gold for Vaughn Stanton and Franke Neal in the Boys U18 Novice Double Sculls and gold for Cameron Churchill and Blake Leach in the Boys U18 Double Sculls.
There were also a few silvers snapped up by Paige Tevita-Williams and Tayler Gibbs in the Girls U18 Double Sculls and Blake, Levi Dowty, Vaughn, Wilson Slavic and Miller Stratford in the Boys U15 Coxed Quad Sculls.
Director of Rowing at Hauraki Plains College and District Rowing Club Martin Simoncelli said it was “incredibly special” to see the HPC rowers perform so well.
“I felt extremely proud of our rowers and coaches. They have been working hard since August last year, showing outstanding commitment, dedication, and respect, not only for the sport but also for one another.
“To see that effort rewarded with medals and a 7th overall placing in the North Island was very satisfying,” he said.
The thing that drew Cameron to rowing was the social part of it, he said. “It’s like being with a second family.”
His, and his teammates advice for other up and coming rowers at HPC was to “give it a go”.
“We all think we are lucky to have the Piako river on our doorstep and are grateful to have good coaches and good equipment.”
MAADI CUP RESULTS: Conor Johnson, Dylan van Mil, Boys U18 Double Sculls B Final, 4th; Paige Tevita-Williams, Girls U18 Single Sculls, 5th; Lily Hammond, Taylor Batchelor, Girls U17 Double Sculls, 6th; Levi Dowty, Boe Leach, Noah Gibbs, Vaughn Stanton with Miller Stratford (cox), Boys U15 Four, 4th; Cameron Churchill, Dylan van Mil, Blake Leach, Conor Johnson and cox Miller Stratford Boys U18 Quad A Final, 7th; Paige Tevita-Williams, Tayler Gibbs, Girls U18 Double, 6th; Boe Leach, Levi Dowty, Vaughn Stanton, Wilson Slavic with Miller Stratford (cox), Boys U15 Quad, 4th; Boe Leach and Levi Dowty, Boys U15 Double, 4th; Lily Hammond, Tayler Gibbs, Teana Rangihika, Taylor Batchelor, cox Quinn Farrell finished, Girls U17 Quad, 6th.
By DAVIDDA HIKATANGATA
