Kavanagh College was in dominant form, winning six gold medals at the South Island secondary schools championships last weekend.
One of the stars was Jack O'Leary, who was a convincing winner of the boys' under-17 single sculls in 7min 36.48sec. This was a remarkable performance because he won by the huge margin of 7sec. O'Leary then stepped up to the higher grade and was second in the boys' under-18 single sculls in 7min 35.30sec.
Younger sister Anna followed in her brother's footsteps and won a gold medal in the girls' under-16 single sculls in 8min 35.04sec from the improving Julia Fauth (St Kevins), who was timed at 8min 40.31sec.
Fauth and Tiana Mihaere sprinted over the last 250m to win the girls' under-16 double sculls for St Kevins by a length.
O'Leary teamed with Julia Murphy to win the girls' under-15 double sculls for Kavanagh in 8min 19.97sec. They were two lengths ahead of Nelson College.
The old firm of Zoe McBride and Hannah Duggan added to Kavanagh College's haul when they won the girls' under-18 double sculls and scooped the top medals in the single sculls, McBride winning and Duggan coming second.
The pair teamed with Caitlin Buist and O'Leary to win the girls' under-18 quadruple sculls. The cox was Phoebe McBride.
It was a successful regatta for Otago schools that won 19 medals - seven gold, five silver and seven bronze.
Kavanagh College's effort was impressive because 48 schools from around the South Island were competing at Lake Ruataniwha. The credit goes to coaches John Parnell and Kevin Duggan.
It was encouraging form as the school looks ahead to the Maadi Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro from March 18-24.
Kavanagh College's first test will be at the Head of the Harbour Regatta on the Otago Harbour on Saturday morning.
The boys' aggregate trophy was won by Otago Boys' last year and the girls by St Hilda's.
Riley Bruce (Mount Aspiring) won a silver medal in the boys' under-16 single sculls when he caught up in the last 250m to finish in 8min 14.99sec.
A silver medal was also won by the St Hilda's crew of Claudia Dyet, Jess Taylor, Francesca Guthrie, Annabelle Palmer and cox Sarah Wyber in the girls' under-18 lightweight quadruple sculls.
Wyber also coxed the girls under-16 crew of Maggie Burns, Eliza Adams, Tessa Read and Zoe Sabonadiere that won a bronze medal.
Emma Winders (Columba) won a bronze medal in the girls' under-17 single sculls and the Waitaki Boys' novice double sculls of Josh Proctor and Josh Harris won bronze. Dunstan won bronze medals in the girls' under-15 quadruple sculls, boys' under-16 four and girls' under-18 novice double sculls.
Otago Boys' won a bronze medal in the boys' under-15 quadruple sculls and Waitaki Boys in the under-18 novice double sculls.
