Gisborne club win waka ama sprint title treble on last day of nationals

On the dais with their gold medals are members of Horouta J16 women’s team Puhi Kaiariki: Bentley Morice-Munro (left), Tutemakoha Kemp, Riria Ata, Christibel MacKenzie, Tiwai Apiata and Nalani Tuhoe. Puhi Kaiariki won the W6 1000m (with turns) and W6 500m titles. Photo / Waka Ama NZ

Past, present and future were represented in Horouta Waka Hoe Club’s finishing burst that won them the “top club” award for most points at the sprint nationals.

Three Horouta teams won gold medals on the final day of the Waka Ama NZ championships at Lake Karapiro.

Woolley Kumara Masters won the master men’s W6 1000 metres (with turns), Tama Ki Te Rangi won the J19 men’s W6 500m and Manawahine won the J19 women’s W6 1000m (with turns) on Saturday.

In the veteran ranks, Horouta crew Nga Kopara Toa were second in the senior master women’s W6 1000m (with turns) and third in the W6 500m, master 70 men’s crew Ko Wau To Papa were second in the W6 500m (with a turn) and third in the W6 500m straight sprint, and golden master women’s team Hinewaiariki were third in both the W6 1000m (with turns) and the W6 500m.

Puhi Kaiariki won the J16 women’s W6 1000m (with turns) and W6 500m for Horouta Waka Hoe Club at the Waka Ama NZ sprint nationals at Lake Karapiro last week. Celebrating victory are (from front) Riria Ata, Christibel MacKenzie, Bentley Morice-Munro, Tiwai Apiata, Nalani Tuhoe and Tutemakoha Kemp.

Traditional Horouta standard-bearers Kaiarahi Toa took bronze in the final of the premier women’s W6 1500m (with five turns) in 8 minutes 30.46 seconds – 16.33s behind the winners.

In the W6 500m, they finished fifth in 2m 8.81s, 8.04s behind the winners.

Mareikura crew Wahine Pasefika were seventh in 2m 10.95s.

Woolley Kumara Masters won the final of the master men’s 1000m (with three turns) in 4m 52.13s.

Bruce Campbell, David Apelu, Glenn Anderson, Grant Donaldson, Jason Reti and Michael Kemp finished 0.09 of a second ahead of runners-up Vaka Manu, of Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club.

Another Horouta team, Paikea Masters, finished eighth in 5m 18.88s.

Woolley Kumara Masters followed up with third place in the master men’s W6 500m final, in 1m 51.92s, 4.30s behind the winners.

Paikea Masters were sixth in 1m 59.52s.

Mareikura crew Hine-o-te-Moana reach out to grab another paddleful of water in the golden master women's W6 1000 metres (with turns). They are (from front) Carolyn Hodgkinson, Denise Tapp (in black, under race singlet), Bev Murray, Marianne Gillingham (obscured), Jude Ureta and steerer Raipoia Brightwell (obscured). They finished fifth in the 1000m (with turns) and 500m finals. Joining with Horouta paddlers, they won silver in the W12 500m. Photo / Waka Ama NZ

In the master women’s turns final, Horouta crew 35 Mai Tawhiti finished seventh in 5m 52.76s, 14.23s behind the winners.

They followed up with fifth place in the final of the W6 500m in 2m 15.07s, 10.43s behind the winners.

Tama Ki Te Rangi won the J19 men’s W6 500m final in 1m 46.54s. The crew of Frazor Wainohu, Kaedyn Thrupp, Kane Soto, Kyan Ayton, Liam Nepe and Maia Campbell finished 2.04s ahead of the runners- up.

Another Horouta crew, Hukataiora, finished 11th in 2m 8.68s.

Horouta crew Ko Wai To Papa — steerer Mani Williams (left), Barry Paenga, Hadfield Kutia, Rutene (Dollar) Maxwell, Whitu Turipa and Dene Moleta — get into their work in the golden master men’s W6 1000m (with turns). They finished fifth in the final.

Tama Ki Te Rangi reached the final of the J19 men’s W6 1000m (with turns) but were disqualified for going outside the 15-metre exit buoy.

Manawahine won the final of the J19 women’s W6 1000m (with turns) in 5m 33.99s.

The team of Aislinn Tahiwi, Cheidan Moetara, Ella August, Marnie Toloa, Melrose Morete and Taylynn Morete finished 0.84s ahead of the runners-up.

They followed up with second place in the W6 500m, in 2m 9.99s, 0.33s behind the winners.

Horouta crew Nga Kopara Toa were second in the final of the senior master women’s W6 1000m (with turns) in 5m 48.99s, 4.72s behind the winners, and third in the W6 500m final, in 2m 13.32s, 1.96s behind the winners.

In the final of the senior master men’s W6 1000m (with turns), Horouta crew Tane Uehaa were sixth in 5m 27.04s, 23.93s behind the winners.

In the W6 500m final, Tane Uehaa were ninth in 2m 0.04s, 10.02s behind the winners.

In the master 70 men’s W6 500m (with a turn), Horouta crew Ko Wau To Papa were second in 2m 47.19s, 6.49s behind the winners and 0.18s ahead of the third-placed team.

Ko Wai To Papa then finished third in the W6 500m straight sprint in 2m 20.66s, 8.25s behind the winners.

Horouta crew Hinewaiariki were third in the final of the golden master women’s W6 1000m (with turns) in 6m 7.26s, 9.42s behind the winners.

Mareikura crew Hine-o-te-Moana were fifth in 6m 15.36s.

Hinewaiariki were also third in the golden master women’s W6 500m final in 2m 21.20s, 2.08s behind the winners.

Hine-o-te-Moana were fifth in 2m 27.48s and Hinewaiora (Horouta) were 10th in 2m 37.28s.

The Ko Wai To Papa golden master men’s team were fifth in the final of the W6 500m in 2m 4.54s, 9.91s behind the winners.

Another Horouta team, Mana o Te Hoe, were 10th in 2m 8.19s.

In the final of the golden master men’s W6 1000m (with turns), Ko Wai To Papa were fifth in 5m 31.49s, 23.04s behind the winners, and Mana o Te Hoe were eighth in 5m 41.35s.

Paddlers in out-of-town teams

Tairawhiti paddlers competing for outside teams also tasted success.

Jack Gifford competed for Rotorua club Hei Matau Paddlers, training during the week on the Waimata River under the gaze of Mareikura club founder and coach Matahi Brightwell, and travelling to Rotorua to train with his teammates at weekends.

Gifford won silver medals as a member of the Bhutty 19s team in the J19 men’s W6 1000m (with turns) and the Bhutty Juniors in the J19 men’s W12 500m.

In the turns race, their time of 4m 47.04s was 0.81s slower than that of the winners.

In the double-hull 500m, they finished in 1m 48.14s, 0.29s behind the winners.

Gifford also won bronze as a member of Bhutty 19s in the J19 men’s W6 500m and as an individual in the J19 men’s dash, the W1 250m.

The W6 time for the 500m was 1m 53.28s, 6.74s behind that of the winners, Tama Ki Te Rangi of Horouta.

Gifford did the 250m dash in 1m 2.81s, 0.86s behind the winner.

He also contested the W1 500m, finishing second in his heat and winning his semifinal. He finished sixth in the final in 2m 19.15s, 3.77s behind the winner, Maia Campbell of Horouta.

Vesna Radonich, competing for Taupō Waka Ama Club, was third in the master women’s W1 500m, in 2m 44.76s, 6.99s behind the winner and 0.01s (a hundredth of a second) ahead of the fourth-placed paddler.

Radonich was a member of gold-medal-winning Taupō team Makoha. They won the master women’s W6 1000m (with turns) in 5m 38.53s, 6.69s ahead of the runners-up, and the W6 500m in 2m 4.64s, 7.02s ahead of the runners-up.