Photo supplied.Maadi Cup 2018 might be over, but three Ashburton College rowers are continuing to hit the water in pursuit of higher honours.

Gold medallists Veronica Wall and Mollie Gibson have earned trials for the New Zealand team that will compete in the Junior World Rowing Championships in Racice, the Czech Republic, in August. Emma Stagg was also part of the medal-winning quad crews and has earned a trial for the South Island under 18 team.

The trials will be held later this month, at Lake Karapiro for the juniors and Lake Ruataniwha for the under 18s.

The entire Ashcoll rowing squad was back at school this week to catch up on a week’s schoolwork, but to also take possession of a new skiff gifted by long-time Maadi sponsor Aon and boat-builder Laszlo Boats.

In a first-time venture at the regatta, the two companies awarded the winners of the under 17 boys and girls singles a boat and a set of sculls.

Gibson won the girls race in outstanding fashion, despite not being at peak health because of a cold bug that was affecting some members of the squad.

With four A finals, it was a big last day of the regatta and she now gets to row the new single, which stays with the school when she eventually leaves.

Boat-builders Laszlo Kertesz and Vera Bacsu were delighted to hand over the skiff, which weighs just 14kg and is made of the latest carbon fibre honeycomb. It retails for $12,000.

The pair are passionate about the sport and operate their business from Matangi, between Hamilton and Cambridge. Bacsu said they wanted to support the under 17 age-group as those rowers were starting to show the combination of their natural skills and training, and would still have another year to race the boat as under 18s.

They wanted all schools, regardless of the size of their rowing programme, to have the opportunity to benefit.

While the eight was prestigious in rowing circles, not all schools could muster those numbers, which is why they went with the single, she said.

The pair were at the Maadi regatta and delighted to see their boats in action by enthusiastic and talented rowers.

“Sometimes we work in the factory and we think of them on the water,” she said.

The boys’ boat went to John McGlashan College in Dunedin.

Aon Insurance has a 14-year relationship with the Maadi regatta and the company’s Ashburton branch manager Dave Sutherland said the joint partnership with Laszlo Boats to gift two skiffs had been a successful and rewarding experience. He hoped it would be repeated.

By Linda Clarke © The Ashburton Guardian - 28 March 2018

Ashburton College rower Mollie Gibson stunned a top-class field in the under-17 singles at Lake Ruataniwha on Saturday. Photo suppied.Ashburton College is celebrating another golden Maadi rowing regatta, with 16-year-old Mollie Gibson leading the medal haul with three golds and a bronze.

Veronica Wall, 18, also banked three golds in her last Maadi.

College had crews in six A finals and 3 B finals following a torrid day of semi-finals after wind and freezing temperatures interrupted rowing at Lake Ruataniwha earlier in the week.

Gibson’s schedule was brutal as she attempted to medal in the under-17 singles, the under-17 and 18 quad and under-17 and 18 doubles.

Her gold medal in the under-17 singles was testament to her fitness, discipline and mental toughness as she came from third with 500m to go and eclipsed rowers from Southland Girls’ High School and rowing powerhouse St Peter’s to take the title.

Gibson, who posted an impressive winning time of 8.23.38, also won for her school a new skiff and a set of new sculls donated by Maadi sponsor Aon and Laszlo Boats.

Aon’s Russell Bailey said the boats, also awarded to the winner of the boys’ under-17 singles sculls, were to recognise rowing excellence in that age-group.

“Jack (Jack McLaughlan from John McGlashan College) and Mollie each made impressive performances to take away gold and we are proud to be a part of their event.”

Gibson started the day on a golden note, teaming up with Wall to win the under-18 double scull, then won bronze in the under-17 coxed quad with Emma Stagg, Aidan Elvines, Lara Biggs and cox Harriet Leverton before taking to the water for the single scull.

She was also joined Wall, Stagg, Biggs and Leverton to win the under 18 coxed quad in an exciting close finish.

Wall was in a class of her own in the under-18 single scull, helping Ashburton College to seventh place in the overall medal standings from 120 schools.

Haxby Hefford battled sickness to finish seventh in the A final of the boys under-18 singles, while Harrison Davies was fifth in the B final.

Aidan Elvines and Kauri Gamble were fifth in the B final of the girls’ novice under 18 double sculls.

Proud principal Ross Preece said Ashburton College was the top co-ed school and the medals and other results recognised the hard work, dedication and top coaching (from Justin Wall) they had.

“And the best thing about our rowing programme is that it is affordable.

At other schools, rowing can cost $6500 a year, but ours is more like $600 because parents get on board and support the fundraising.

“We have a great fleet of boats and the best coach in the country … and he is a volunteer coach.”

The Maadi Cup regatta is the national championship for school rowing and New Zealand’s largest rowing regatta with over 2200 rowers.

The actual Maadi Cup is awarded to the winner of the boys’ under 18 eight – and it was won by Christ’s College, who pulled away from Hamilton Boys’ High School in the last 250 metres of the race to win in 6.01.90.

By Linda Clarke © The Ashburton Guardian - 26 March 2018

Ashburton College’s Isaac Bazley watches as his ball finds the gap between fielders during a game against Christchurch Boys’ High School colts on Saturday. AshColl won the two-day game outright. Photo Doug BovettAshburton College First XI capped off their last game of the summer with an outright win over Christchurch Boys’ High School Colts on Saturday.

AshColl was in a good position going into the day, having bowled the colts out for 119 and then declaring at 180 to put the hosts back in to bat.

They resumed at 10/1 with AshColl eager to contain them, which they did at 123 runs.

Wickets fell at regular intervals, with wicketkeeper Isaac Bazley taking three catches behind the stumps.

The bowlers made the colts work hard for runs – Harry McMillan took three wickets for 19 runs off his nine overs while Will Copland took two for 13 off his six overs and Chris Spittal two for 15 off his six.

Angus Jemmett bowled 11 maidens in his 16-over spell, conceding just seven runs and taking a wicket.

AshColl only needed 63 runs to win, following their first innings effort and they achieved that in 16 overs with the loss of just two wickets.

Bazley 26 and Jemmett 22 not out were the main contributors in the second innings.

Manager Hayden McMillan said it was a very pleasing end to the season, with AshColl securing two outright wins in the last two games.

The secondary school competition resumes in term four with one-day games.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 26 March 2018