The medals came to Otago crews in the first day of finals at the national championships at Lake Ruataniwha yesterday.
In the women’s novice quad sculls, the Dunstan Arm crew won the gold. The crew of Kate Hanning, Meg Creagh, Olivia Furrie, Skye Morton and Sophie Williamson won the event ahead of Hawke’s Bay and Rotorua. The Alexandra crew won by more than 4sec in fine, clear conditions.
The University of Otago eight also tasted success in its first trip back in the big boat, finishing second in the club eights.
Petone won well clear but University put the speed on in the final 250m to nudge out North Shore by just 1sec, while West End had to settle for fourth.
It is the first time in eight years University had put out an eight, so it was a successful return.In the women’s senior coxless four, the University of Otago crew finished third in the final. The crew of Maysie Scott, Natasha Bonham-Carter, Karley Wilden-Palms and Hannah Duggan finished 8sec behind the winning Waikato crew.
In a tight semifinal in the men’s club pairs, North End pair and brothers Scott and Todd Bezett finished just behind Waikato’s Cameron Smith and James Ingham and moved through to the final.
In the women’s club double sculls, the University of Otago crew of Sydney Telfer and Wilden-Palms finished second in the semifinal.
The University of Otago crew of Penelope Barnsdale, Telfer, Riley Homan and Hayley Kettings finished second in the women’s club coxless quad sculls.
The Dunstan Arm crew of Greg McLaughlin and Simon Smith won its semifinal in the men’s club double sculls.In the men’s club single sculls, Bradley Leydon, of the Otago club, finished second in the semifinal.
The first of the red coats, awarded to winners of premier-class events, was handed out yesterday when Auckland RPC’s Isaac Grainger, Stephen Jones, Lewis Hollows and Giacomo Thomas claimed the men’s premier quadruple sculls title and their first red coats.
Waikato dominated the women’s premier coxed quad title with crews from the club finishing first and second.
Junior men’s double sculls world champion Jack Lopas, of Christchurch, showed his class in the men’s under-20 single sculls with an outstanding row to take the gold medal in a time of 7min 19.04sec.
More finals are scheduled today and tomorrow.
