Girls’ High win bronze at champs

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

ROWING

Gisborne Girls’ High School’s under-15 coxed four came away from the North Island Secondary Schools Rowing Championships at Lake Karāpiro with bronze medals.

Alexia Mackay (stroke), Tillie King, Ruby Jefferson, Bonnie Mason and cox Jorjah Forsyth qualified for the girls’ A Final by winning their heat in a time of eight minutes 32.52 seconds for the two kilometres.

The crew, coached by Luke McKenzie and Esthie DeWet, took third place in the final in a time of 9:19.25.

A Cambridge High School crew won the race in 8:59.58 and Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, of Wellington, were second in 9:04.26, having finished second to Gisborne in their heat.

Two other Gisborne Girls’ High under-15 entries also contested A Finals.

Mya Carrington (stroke) joined King, Mason, Mackay and cox Forsyth to take sixth place in the A Final of the girls’ u15 coxed quad sculls in 8:35.43.

They had qualified by winning their heat in 7:54.48 and finishing second in their semifinal in 8:34.25.

Mackay and Mason placed eighth in the A Final of the girls’ u15 double sculls in a time of 9:16.30.

They had placed second in their heat, in 8:51.29, and fourth in their semifinal, in 9:30.06.

In B Finals contested by Gisborne Girls’ High crews, Ava Duncan (stroke) and Ella Knight were second in the girls’ u17 double sculls, in 8:34.79; Gemma Macdonald (stroke), Olivia Edwards, Jorjah Forsyth, Naia Erickson and cox Mya Carrington were third in the girls’ u18 novice coxed four, in 9:13.99; and Clare Ruston was fourth in the girls’ u16 single sculls, in 9:55.67.

In C Finals contested by Gisborne Girls’ High crews, Caitlyn Murphy (stroke), Clare Ruston, Mya Carrington, Amy Symons and cox Jorjah Forsyth were second in the girls’ u16 coxed quad sculls, in 9:08.23; and Gemma Macdonald (stroke), Ruby Jefferson, Olivia Edwards, Naia Erickson and cox Murphy were seventh in the girls’ u15 coxed quad sculls, in 9:27.90.

Gisborne Boys’ High School crews made two A Finals.

Jackson Horne (stroke) and Louis Wylie were fifth in the A Final of the boys’ u17 double sculls, in 8:02.69; and Alexander Dinkel (stroke), Carlos Bramwell, Hunter Clapham, Tulson Sparrow and cox Samuel Castano were ninth in the boys’ u16 coxed quad sculls, in 7:56.52.

Both crews were coached by Joshua Kelly.

In B Finals contested by Gisborne Boys’ High rowers, Carlos Bramwell won the boys’ u16 single sculls, in 8:40.49; Theo Mackay (stroke) and Noah Mason won the boys’ u18 double sculls, in 7:10.95; Louis Wylie was second in the boys’ u17 single sculls, in 8:40.66; Alexander Dinkel (stroke) and Bramwell were third in the boys’ u16 double sculls, in 8:02.52; Blake Bramwell (stroke), River Somerton, Jeremy Bryant, Curtis Wylie and cox Tulson Sparrow were third in the boys’ u15 coxed four; in 7:46.53; Blake Bramwell (stroke) and Somerton were fourth in the boys’ u15 double sculls, in 8:20.33; Curtis Wylie (stroke), Somerton, Blake Bramwell, Bryant and cox Sparrow were fifth in the boys’ u15 coxed quad sculls, in 7:57.27; and Finn Robertson (stroke) and Bryant were sixth in the boys’ u15 double sculls, in 8:50.22.

In C Finals contested by Gisborne Boys’ High rowers, Tulson Sparrow (stroke) and Hunter Clapham were third in the boys’ u16 double sculls, in 9:09.07; and Ned Clarke was fourth in the boys’ u18 single sculls, in 9:28.11.

A five-member team from Campion College also competed at the championships. They contested the girls’ u15 coxed quad sculls, coxed four and double sculls (two teams) and did not proceed beyond the heats. They were coached by Luke McKenzie.