Ashburton College rowers continued their top form at the Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro yesterday, with several of the squad advancing to A semi-finals.

Among them was golden girl Veronica Wall, who was the only one in her under-17 girls’ single sculls to go under 8 minutes.

Wall clocked 7.53.29, her closest rival across the four quarter-finals finishing in 8.20.

Harrison Davies and Haxby Hefford both qualified for the semi-finals of their under-17 boys’ single sculls, while Mollie Gibson also advanced to the semis in the under-16 girls with a second placing in her quarter-final.

Davies and Hefford had a busy day, teaming up in the boys’ under-17 doubles to finish third in their quarter-final.

Olivia Gibson and Bobbie Rushton were third in their under-18 novice girls’ quarter-finals, while Lara Biggs, Mollie Gibson, Emma Stagg, Katie Dolan and cox Emma Jansen combined in the quad for a second place in their quarter-final.

Davies raced up an age-group in the under-18 singles, his fourth place in one of the quarter-finals securing him a spot in the semis. Mollie Gibson and Emma Stagg progressed to the under-16 doubles semis.

This morning, eyes will be on Wall and partner Grace Wilson in the semis of the under-18 girls’ double sculls; Wall will be in action again a couple of hours later in the under-17 singles semis. Hefford and Davies will be amongst the first Ashburton rowers on the lake though with their under-17 singles semi-finals at 8.15am and 8.20am.

Mollie Gibson will be in action in her singles semi at 9.50am followed by novice double scullers Wyatt Burrows and Artem Kravchenko.

The girls under-16 coxed quad will be on the water at 12.10pm in their semi.

Events will be livestreamed from Lake Karapiro today, tomorrow and Saturday as the six-day event gets to the business end of the competition.

The event is the biggest Maadi Cup on record with 127 schools sending around 2100 rowers. The last events on the water will be the under-18 boys’ coxed eight A final for the Maadi Cup; 2016 cup-winners Christ’s College already have a crew through to the final.

The qualifying races so far have involved some spectacular racing.

After a blistering row down the course in the first heat, Hamilton Boys’ High, Saint Kentigern College and Sacred Heart College (Auckland) were all locked bowball to bowball in the final 250 metres.

A powerful finishing charge from Hamilton Boys proved too strong for Saint Kentigern close behind in second place forcing Sacred Heart College and the remaining crews into a repechage.

By Linda Clarke © The Ashburton Guardian - 30 March 2017