Otago club scullers Gretchen Brownstein and Renee Perrie are strong candidates to be named top crew at the Otago Rowing Association's awards presentations on Friday night.
The pair won two gold medals at the New Zealand championships at Lake Ruataniwha in February, in the senior and club double sculls.
Brownstein (29) and Perrie (23) made a significant improvement last season and were the dominant crew in the country in their class.
This is just their second year rowing together. At the national champs at Lake Karapiro last year they finished fourth in the club double sculls and sixth in the senior women's event. .
Perrie, who started rowing at Otago Girls High School, has now won four gold medals at national championships. There are five crews in contention for the award. The others are the Wanaka women's double sculls, North End men's double sculls, St Kevins girls' under-15 eight and the Otago University women's coxed four.
The University crew of Anna Price, Sarah Lindley, Fiona Bourke, Amy Grundy and cox Aynsley Moore won silver behind Nelson at the national championships.
It was the sixth New Zealand championship medal for Grundy (21), who started rowing at Otago Girls High School.
The young Mount Aspiring College crew of Georgina Galloway and Sasha Bruce beat their older opponents to win the South Island secondary schools double sculls title. They are coached by Dave Varney.
The pair also performed with distinction in the under-18 single sculls at the same regatta, Galloway finishing third and Bruce fourth.
Galloway is up against Johannah Kearney (St Kevins) for the top Otago secondary school female rower award.
The three finalists for the Otago Rower of the Year title are veteran Richard Wilden (Otago), Olympian Hamish Bond (North End) and Elyse Fraser (University).
The awards presentation will be held at the Nations Church Hall, South Dunedin, on Friday night. The guest speaker is world champion cyclist Alison Shanks.
Finalists.-
Masters rower: Tim Gardiner (Otago).
Administrator: John Parnell (Otago), Faye Forgie (Port United), Lauren Farnden (North End).
Coach: Owen Gould (Oamaru), Laura Caley (Queens), Sarah Goldsmith (Port United), Royce Wilson (North End).
Novice crew: Port United men's double sculls.
Coxswain: Aynsley Moore (University), Aaron Woodhead (OBHS), Katy McManus (Port United).
Male school rower: Robert Mears (OBHS), Fletcher Homan (Kings).
Rower of year: Richard Wilden (Otago), Hamish Bond (North End), Elyse Fraser (University).
Female school rower: Georgina Galloway (Mount Aspiring College), Johannah Kearney (St Kevins).
Crew: Wanaka women's double sculls, Otago women's double sculls, North End men's double sculls, St Kevins girls' under-15 eight, University women's coxed four.
