Grace Wilson (bow) and Veronica Wall celebrate thier victory in the U18 double final at Maadi. Photo Steve McArthurJustin Wall had a lengthy road trip ahead of him to ponder over the week that was at Maadi Cup and when the Ashburton College rowing coach finally pulls into his driveway, he’ll no doubt be in awe of what his incredible crew managed to achieve.

Ashburton walked away with an outstanding five gold medals from the week’s effort and also claimed a bronze medal and filled placings, or won, a number of B Finals during the last few days of the competition.

“It’s been an amazing week, the team have by far exceeded my expectations,” Wall said.

“But they have done a great job off the water as well; Ashburton should be very proud of them and what they have done in representing the region.”

One of the smaller schools at the Maadi Cup, Ashburton’s results have them now pegged as a feared force in secondary school rowing.

They finished third in the Star Trophy for the overall top school of the week, beaten by Hamilton Boys’ High School and St Peters’ School.

They also picked up second in the prestigious President’s Sculls which goes to the leading sculls rowing school of the week.

St Peters claimed that title with Ashburton finishing ahead of prominent rowing schools such as Hamilton Boys’, Westlake Girls’ and Kings College.

“If you based it on a per-capita format, we would be by far and above everyone else.

“And we are a school who, if you want to row, you are in.

“We don’t leave anyone behind. It’s everybody.”

Wall himself was recognised with the Bill Eaddy Memorial Trophy which was awarded by his peers and he said it was something he was very proud of.

He had nothing but admiration for his crew as a coach, but Wall’s pride in the efforts of his daughter, Veronica, were emotion-filled.

“I could not be more proud of her,” he said.

“She’s risen over and above in maturity and ability and handled it all like it’s just another day.

“There’s been a bit of criticism in a few of the rowing circles that she’s not handling all the pressure, but she’s waving that all off and continues to amaze me with her outlook and positivity about everything.”

After her four-win haul last year at Maadi, Wall managed a repeat in 2017.

She claimed gold with Grace Wilson in the Girls’ Under 18 Double Sculls on Friday and also took out the Under 17 Girls’ Single Sculls.

On Saturday she blew her rivals off the water in the Under 18 Single Sculls and then teamed up with Olivia Gibson, Wilson, Mollie Gibson and Emma Jansen to win the Under 18 Girls’ Coxed Quad Sculls.

“She’s on her own when it comes to single sculls at the moment, she has no peer.

“And for her to be able to team up with Grace and work through from novice to winning again this weekend and then again with the quad it’s hard not to be proud of her as a father.”

Wall’s stocks in the rowing world continue to rise and she is regarded by many highly-qualified rowing experts as the next big thing on the water at the moment.

What awaits her next will remain to be seen, but a black singlet is already in the offing and judging by a few of the results from some of her school mates during the week, there’s potential that she might not be the only one.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 2 April 2017

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

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