The Mt Aspiring crew of Eachann Bruce and Nicholas Jackson advanced to the semifinals of the Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro yesterday.
They won their repechage heat in the boys' under-18 lightweight double sculls, a new event at the Maadi Cup regatta.
Bruce and Jackson were always in control and gave a polished display to come home strongly in 7min 3.44sec to beat Westlake Boys by 5.33sec. The pair are coached by Robert Bruce, who won the senior Maadi Cup single sculls in the early 1980s.
Jess Linwood (Dunstan) also advanced to the semifinals when she won her repechage in the girls under-18 single sculls in 8min 40.77sec. She was 1.23sec ahead of Tessa Michelson (Epsom Girls').
The St Kevin's girls' crew of Johanna and Caitlin Kearney, Bethany Robertson, Georgia Tangney, Eilee Robinson, Lucy Fauth, Katherine Hope, Loren Haggerty and cox Sophie Moynihan advanced to the A final of the under-18 eight.
They controlled the race from the start and finished strongly in 6min 38.68sec, ahead of strong Christchurch rowing schools Rangi Ruru (second in 6min 42.17sec) and St Margaret's College (third in 6min 49sec).
The St Kevin's under-17 coxed four of Robinson, Fauth, Robertson, Tangney and Moynihan won their repechage in 7min 55.72sec to advance to the A final.
Jack O'Leary (Kavanagh) advanced to the semifinal of the boys' under-17 single sculls when he finished second in his repechage in 8min 3.36sec.
Bryce Abernethy (Taieri College) reached the semifinals of the boys' under-18 single sculls when he was second in his repechage in 7min 34.64sec.
Other crews to reach the semifinals yesterday were the St Hilda's girls under-16 quadruple sculls, the Otago Boys' under-15 quadruple sculls, the St Kevin's and Columba College girls' under-17 double sculls, three St Hilda's crews in the girls' under-16 double sculls and the Columba College girls' under-16 double sculls.
