Ashburton College’s Mollie Gibson in action at Maadi 2017. Photo Steve McArthurAshburton College has unearthed a new potential rowing star of the future at this week’s Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro.

A large amount of the pre-regatta talk about the Ashburton crew centred around Veronica Wall, and rightly so as she continued her domination, but few knew much of Mollie Gibson.

But they do now.

The pocket-rocket blew her rivals off the water in an enthralling Girls’ Under 16 Single Sculls Final yesterday morning – leaving many amazed at her performance after dropping back a long way at the start of the two kilometre race.

But as every 100 metres passed, Gibson edged herself back into the race and when she hit the front inside the final 750 metres she was actually drawing away from her rivals to win comfortably.

Gibson had won her heat but placed second in both her semi and quarter-finals and showed she was starting to peak with a great finish on Thursday in her semi-final.

Her victory was the second half of a golden hour for Ashburton College after Veronica Wall and Grace Wilson claimed gold in the Under 18 Girls’ Double Sculls title in emphatic fashion.

The duo tracked the early leaders before powerfully bursting through the back with 500 metres left to row to claim the lead and not look back as they cleared away inside the closing stages for an emphatic victory.

Wall then returned to the water late in the day yesterday to claim a third gold medal for Ashburton College when she blitzed her rivals in the Under 17 Single Sculls Final, much to the delight of some very vocal College supporters.

Wall’s run in the single sculls events have been incredible as she has been untouchable across a varying number of age groups for the past 18 months and tomorrow she will line up to shoot for another when she competes in the Under 18 Girls’ Single Sculls Final.

In other results from yesterday’s racing, Haxby Hefford finished second in the B Final of the Under 17 Boys’ Single Sculls, while Harrison Davies finished sixth in the A Final, giving Ashburton two rowers in the top 10 for New Zealand in the age group.

Wyatt Burrows and Artem Kravchenko finished third in their Under 18 Boys’ Novice Double Sculls B Final.

Hefford and Davies finished third in their B Final for the Under 17 Boys’ Double Sculls and Olivia Gibson and Bobbie Rushton finished sixth in their B Final of the Girls’ Under 18 Novice Double Sculls.

The great day on the water sees Ashburton College currently in second equal with Kings College in the Star Trophy with half of the events remaining.

The trophy is awarded to the leading school at the Maadi Cup.

They lead the President’s Scull points race however which sees points awarded from sculling events.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 1 April 2017