Ashburton rowers, including Grace Wilson, were again in good form at the South Island championships at Ruataniwha on the weekend. Photo Ashburton GuardianAshburton rowers again made their presence felt at a major rowing meet with a good medal haul at the South Island championships on Lake Ruataniwha at the weekend.

Locals grabbed four of the gold medals on offer including a double to superstar, Veronica Wall in the women’s under 19 and women’s premier single sculls.

One of the highlights of the weekend however was the continued emergence of a group of four young men who look destined to produce good results for the remainder of the season.

The men’s intermediate four of Wyatt Burrows, Michael Wall, Caleb Pierre and Jared Mattson, along with Isabella Wall have been touted as a crew to watch by coach Justin Wall in the past and they produced a strong effort at the weekend to claim gold.

“They’re a strong crew, we have some good expectations of them,” Wall said last week.

Also grabbing a gold medal on the weekend were Matt Rae and Haxby Hefford in the men’s club double sculls.

Hefford has worked his way up through the College rowing scene and consistently produces strong results while Rae has returned to the Ashburton Rowing Club this season.

Others to produce strong results over the weekend in A finals were Charlotte Cox who picked up bronze in the women’s masters single sculls, Mollie Gibson who finished third behind Wall in the women’s under 19 single sculls, Michael Wall and Wyatt Burrows picked up bronzes in the men’s intermediate double sculls, Harrison Davies secured bronze with a good third in the men’s under 19 single sculls and Grace Wilson, Olivia Gibson, Fran Connelly-Whyte and Mollie Gibson were third in the women’s open fours.

Fellow local rower and Olympian, Emma Dyke was also in action at the meeting picking up a gold medal in the women’s open coxless fours and a silver in the women’s premier coxless pairs.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 1 February 2018