Wakatipu High School has translated its early dominance to finals day.
The Queenstown school claimed four medals, three of them gold, on the first day of finals at the Maadi Cup yesterday.
Marley King-Smith continued his superb regatta at Lake Ruataniwha, setting the tone with a gold medal in the boys under-17 single sculls.
He finished 3sec ahead of his nearest competitor to claim a solo title.
He added a second gold in the under-16 coxed quadruple sculls.
King-Smith combined with Toby Rorrison, Ashton White, Xavier Small and cox Emily Howick, to win by 5sec in a second dominant display.
He then joined Sam McAtamney to win bronze in a tight finish in the under-17 double sculls.
Small also took a second medal, teaming with Keegan Green to claim a dominant win in the under-18 novice double sculls.
Not to be outdone, the school’s girls under-17 coxed quadruple sculls crew of Keely Erskine, Neve Bates, Olivia Key, Phoebe Cavanagh and cox Howick claimed gold.
They were followed in third by Otago Girls’ High School’s Harriet Thompson, Islay Merriman, Maggie Hepburn, Sophie Orchiston and cox Emily Esplin.
It was Otago Girls’ first Maadi Cup medal in 21 years.
Dunstan High School took its first medal of the regatta when Sophie Smith and Pipi Horan combined for silver in the under-18 double sculls.
Horan and Thompson then made it a one-two finish for Otago in the under-17 single sculls.
Horan took gold in 8min 30.18sec, before Thompson followed her in 2sec later, 5sec ahead of the rest of the field.
Waitaki Girls’ High School’s Emma Spittle ensured at least one medal will return to Oamaru, claiming silver in the under-16 single sculls.
Otago Boys’ High School duo Grayson Small and Henry Kirk capped their impressive week with a silver in the under-18 pair.
Columba College’s Grace Heath and Briar Duncan also took silver, in the under-18 novice double sculls.
John McGlashan College’s Mark Smith, Matthew O’Meara, Fynn Allison, Oliver Hamilton and cox Aidan Seyb won bronze in the boys under-18 coxed quadruple sculls.
Racing concludes with the rest of the finals today, in which more Otago crews are in the mix for medals.
