Gisborne, East Coast students chasing medals at waka ama secondary school nationals

Losiane Toupili celebrates winning the J16 W1 title at the waka ama sprint nationals in January. She is among a large group of Tairāwhiti students competing at the national secondary school champs on Lake Tikitapu near Rotorua this week. Photo / Garrick Cameron, Waka Ama NZ

Tairāwhiti schools are well represented at the Waka Ama Secondary School Nationals at Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), in Rotorua, which started today and run to Friday.

Ruatōria and Wairoa are to the fore with team entries, while Gisborne Girls’ High School, Gisborne Boys' High School and Lytton High have several individual competitors lining up.

Campion College has an Under-16 boys’ team in the W6 250 metres and 500m, a U19 girls’ team in the W6 250m and 500m and a U19 mixed team in the W12 250m.

Gisborne Girls’ High has Riria Ata and sisters Hevani and Losiane Toupili in the U16 girls’ W1 250m and national J19 sprint champion Hine Brooking in the U19 girls’ 250m.

Girls’ High also has three U16 girls’ teams in the W6 250m and 500m and one team in the U16 girls’ W12 200m. It also has a U19 girls’ team in the W6 250m and 500m and has combined with another school for a U19 mixed team in the W12 250m.

Gisborne Boys’ High has Rory Gifford and Jeremiah Albert Rimene in the U16 boys’ W1 250m and Frazor Wainohu and Jack Gifford in the U19 boys’ W1 250m.

Boys’ High has two U16 teams and one U19 crew. All are racing in the W6 250m and 500m and W12 250m.

Their coaches are Gaibreill Wainohu and Bruce Campbell, and their managers are Daiminn Kemp and George Kiwara.

Lytton High has Nahla Aston-Coleman, Kiani Olsen and Ibanez Te Pairi in the U16 girls’ W1 250m and also has two U16 teams in the girls’ W6 250m and 500m, and a U19 team in the girls’ W6 250m and 500m and W12 250m.

Manutuke School have Ella August competing in the U19 girls’ W1 250m. A U16 boys’ team and a U16 girls’ team are in W6 250m and 500m races. An U16 mixed team are lining up in the W12 250m.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Uri a Maui has brothers Makauri and Te Maumahara Hape in the U16 boys’ W1 250m, as well as U16 boys’ and U16 girls’ teams racing over 250m and 500m, and a U16 mixed team in the W12 250m.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa has one boys’ team and one girls’ team in the U16 and U19 age groups, competing in W6 250m and W6 500m races. Both age groups have entries in the mixed W12 250m.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiu o Ngāti Porou, of Ruatōria, has three U16 boys’ teams and three U16 girls’ teams, each competing in W6 250m and 500m races, as well as three U16 mixed teams in the W12 250m. A U19 boys’ team will contest the W6 250m and 500m.

Tolaga Bay Area School Kuranui has a U16 girls’ team in the W6 250m and 500m.

The first of the medals will be decided on Tuesday morning, following heats and semifinals on Monday.

The 22nd annual event has brought together more than 2200 rangatahi (youth) from 124 kura (schools), making this year’s national championships the biggest in its history.