That does not mean it will head into the Maadi Cup with lower ambitions, though.
The school heads into the national schools rowing event, which begins on Monday and runs until Saturday at Lake Ruataniwha, after an impressive South Island secondary school championships.
It won six medals across both the under-18 novice and under-17 grades.
Notable was the gold medal Millie Scott and Bridgette Sutton combined for in the under-17 coxless pair.
They were joined by Jendi Minty, Sara Reynolds and cox Isabella Davey to win bronze in the four, before Reynolds swapped out for Laura Sammut to win silver in the quadruple sculls.
It was an impressive showing, made even more impressive by the fact Sutton, Minty and Reynolds are all still under 16.
With a strong group of novices coming through — who could join them to form strong under-17 crews next year — there is plenty to get excited about.
‘‘They’re an awesome group of kids,’’ head coach Matt Adam said.
‘‘Right from when they first started, they’ve always pushed each other along.
‘‘They’re going really well. It’ll be interesting to see what happens once we get there.
‘‘They train hard, they enjoy being there and all the other girls enjoy being around them.’’
Adam said the team was excited and had done well to remain motivated, despite uncertainty around whether the regatta would go ahead.
It trained four mornings a week, as well as afternoon sessions, while training camps and home sessions were used in the holidays, as many of the rowers were boarders.
While the South Island event had proved successful, the Maadi Cup brought another level of competition, Adam said.
Typically the biggest school sport event in New Zealand, the event’s numbers would be down this year after the decision to restrict it to year 11-13 pupils.
That had an impact on many schools, including Columba.
However, the Maadi Cup remained a major event and taking confidence in its training would be key for the squad.
‘‘It’s really just talking to them about they’ve done the work.
‘‘This year’s about being confident in what you’ve put out in training. If you’re happy with what you’ve put out in training, it’s going to pay off in the racing.’’
Columba is not the only Otago school entering with strong hopes.
Dunstan High School has been among the top schools nationally in recent years and once again will stake its claim.
Notably, Pipi Horan and Sophie Smith represent a quality under-18 double sculls crew, while also being contenders in the single.
Otago Boys’ High School and John McGlashan College also have medal hopes, while St Kevin’s College and both Waitaki Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools also have chances.
