The Ashburton College Under-16 Coxed Quad Sculls team of Lara Biggs, Emma Stagg, Katie Dolan, Mollie Gibson and Emma Jansen have qualified for the A Final at the Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro.The Ashburton College ladies led the charge on the fourth day of Maadi Cup rowing action at Lake Karapiro yesterday.

Results yesterday have left Ashburton College with the potential to push for bumper results for the regatta with just two days of racing remaining, including today where a number of students will be rowing for gold.

The Ashburton College Under-18 Coxed Quad Sculls team of Veronica Wall, Olivia Gibson, Grace Wilson, Mollie Gibson and Emma Jansen produced one of the big results of the day with their semi-final win.

The South Island champions produced an effort four seconds up on North Island champions, Tauranga Girls’, to leave them in the box seat on Saturday when they row for gold.

The win was one of four for the day for Wall, who continued her domination on the water, remaining unbeaten for the week.

She cruised home in the semi-finals of both the Under-17 and Under-18 Girls’ Single Sculls and with Grace Wilson stamped their authority on the Under-18 Girls’ Double Sculls with a victory in their semi-final, two seconds up on their closest rivals.

Wilson produced a strong effort in her Under-18 Girls’ Single Sculls semi-final, finishing second and giving Ashburton College two rowers in the final which will be held on Saturday.

Mollie Gibson turned in a massive performance in the Under-16 Girls’ Single Sculls semi-final to finish second and become the second seed heading into this morning’s A final.

Gibson was then back in the action for one of the real highlights of the day when she teamed up with Emma Stagg to finish second in their semi-final with an unbelievable performance.

The pair, rowing in the Under-16 Girls’ Double Sculls, recorded the 11th fastest time overall in the quarter-finals, but turned that around to qualify for the A final as the third fastest qualifier with their row late in the day yesterday.

The Under-16 Coxed Quad Sculls team of Lara Biggs, Mollie Gibson, Emma Stagg, Katie Dolan and Emma Jansen will also contest their A final after finishing fourth in their semi-final.

Harrison Davies was the other Ashburton College rower to qualify for an A final when he finished fourth in the Under-17 Boys’ Single Sculls.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 31 March 2017