Grace Adams and Emma Stagg scored second place in the C Final of the under 18 double sculls yesterday. Photo supplied.With the competition closing in on its final two days of racing, some Ashburton College rowers are in a good position to push for podium finishes at the Maadi Cup.

The annual secondary schools’ championships, which are this year being held on Lake Karapiro, head into the penultimate day of racing this morning and the contingent from Ashburton have made sure their names are up there with the big guns and shooting for medals.

The Ashburton effort looks set to be led by the strong under 18 girls’ coxed quad sculls team consisting of Emma Stagg, Mollie Gibson, Aidan Elvines, Grace Adams and Harriet Leverton, who yesterday put themselves into the A Final with a dominant semi-final victory.

They will row for gold on finals day on Saturday, but two members of the foursome will already have had a shot at glory when Gibson and Elvines row in the final of the girls’ under 18 coxless pair oars just after lunchtime today.

Gibson will also take her place in the final of the girls’ under 18 single sculls after finishing second in her semi-final following victories in the heats and quarter finals.

Elvines finished seventh in her semi-final, the same race as Gibson, and will now contest the B Final.

Stagg and Adams got themselves a finals placing yesterday when they picked up second placing in the C Final of the under 18 double sculls.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 29 March 2019