The Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro wrapped up on Saturday, with five rowers from the Otago catchment selected for South Island trials at Twizel over Easter.
Among those with a chance of making the team for the interisland regatta on April 10 12, back on the Lake Karapiro course, are two gold medallists from Saturday, Mark Taylor (Waitaki Boys' High School) and Macaela Turfus (Dunstan High School).
Taylor overcame the disappointment of finishing outside the medals in the boys under 16 double sculls early on Saturday, when he pulled away over the final 500m to win the single sculls in 7min 51.95sec.
The pace went on from the start. John McGlashan rower Bradley Leydon led the field through the first 1000m, only to be overtaken in the race to the line over the final 800m. Leydon battled his way to sixth place.
Turfus combined with Sydney Cook to win silver in the girls under 19 lightweight sculls, and quickly returned to the water with Lucy Geddes to win the girls under 17 double sculls in commanding style.
The pair led from the start to record a comfortable victory in 7min 50.08sec, holding out a late challenge from the Nelson College pairing of Tessa Smith and Sasha Cullum, who were second in 7min 51.22sec.
Joining the medallists from Saturday for the South Island trials is Woody Kirkwood (John McGlashan), who was in the McGlashan under 17 coxed four which missed a bronze medal by the narrowest of margins.
Kirkwood made two finals, finishing sixth in the boys under 17 double and eighth in the boys under 17 single sculls.
Hamilton Boys' High School recorded a third consecutive Maadi Cup victory with its eights crew, holding out a strong challenge from Christ's College. Hamilton Boys' (6min 7.43sec) and Christ's (6min 7.85sec) were well clear of the field. Third placed Auckland Grammar crossed in 6min 15.39sec.
The St Bede's College eight failed to qualify for the A final, but won the B final in 6min 32.36sec. Otago Boys' High School finished fourth in the B final in 6min 41.64sec.
St Margaret's College (Christchurch) was a convincing winner of the Levin Jubilee Cup, for a third time in four years, for the girls under 18 eight. It crossed in 7min 9.10sec. Epsom Girls' Grammar was second in 7min 11.42sec.
Hamilton Boys' swept the overall points tally for the six day competition, winning the Star Trophy for the third consecutive year and the sixth time since 2005.
