Otago schools have continued their strong start to the Maadi Cup.
Plenty of crews from the region advanced through the second day of heats at the national secondary schools regatta at Lake Karapiro yesterday.
Dunstan High School was prominent in the girls grades, reaffirming its status as one of the country’s top rowing schools.
Sophie Smith, who moved to the school from Dunedin this year, won her heat in the under-18 single sculls.
She also teamed with the school’s other Sophie Smith (from Alexandra), Paige Furrie, Mackenzie Ealson and cox Billy Grant to claim a dominant win in the coxed quadruple sculls heat.
Alexandra Smith and Mackenzie Bryant also claimed a first place in the under-17 double sculls, as did the school’s under-18 novice coxed quadruple sculls crew.
In the under-15 double sculls Marzella de Beer and Maycee Williams also advanced to their semifinal, finishing second in their heat.
Otago Boys’ High School’s Reuben Cook continued his strong form of the summer in the under-18 boys grade.
He won his single sculls heat, before partnering Will Haley to win their double sculls heat.
Mount Aspiring College also had a strong showing.
Pipi Horan and Emily Findlay claimed a big win in their girls under-17 double sculls heat, while Emma Steed finished third to make the under-18 single sculls semifinals.
Steed was also part of the under-18 quadruple sculls crew which finished second to qualify for the final, while in the boys races Aaron Maxwell advanced the under-18 single sculls semifinals.
Columba College under-15 double sculls duo Bridgette Sutton and Jendi Minty won their heat, while the under-17 duo of Sienna Snow and Phoebe Wellstead came in second.
The school’s under-16 coxed four also finished first to make the semifinal.
John McGlashan College also had several crews finish second and third in various grades to advance to semifinals.
Among those were Mark Smith and Freddy Wright, who both advanced past the under-18 single sculls heats.
St Hilda’s Collegiate duo Neve Bates and Olivia Key had a strong showing to win their girls under-16 double sculls heat, while crews from Otago Girls’ High School, Wakatipu High School and Cromwell College all advanced too.
Sam McAtamney gave Wakatipu some individual success too, winning his heat in the boys under-16 single sculls.
Racing continues today.
