Great performances from paddlers

MEDALLISTS: Poverty Bay Kayak Club paddlers Quaid Thompson (left) and Zach Ferkins both came away from the Tikitapu 2 regatta at Rotorua with podium finishes. Thompson won the open men's K1 1000 metres, one of the feature races of the programme. Ferkins won silver in another feature race, the open men's K1 200m. Picture supplied

Poverty Bay Kayak Club had some great performances at the Tikitapu 2 regatta held at Rotorua this month.

Quaid Thompson and Zach Ferkins impressed in the open men's K1 racing.

Thompson won the open men's K1 1000 metres, beating Olympian Max Brown and New Zealand team member James Munro in the process.

Ferkins excelled in all distances and finished second, sixth and fourth in the 200m, 500m and 1000m respectively.

For the older juniors, the event served as a trial for the team to represent New Zealand at the 2023 Asia Pacific Cup.

In the key K1 500m event, under-16 paddlers Hannah Webb, Matt McKendry and Maxwell Kennedy all made the podium to meet selection criteria.

Coaches Liz Thompson and Kendra Tate also praised Gus Baker (u18), Ollie Egan (u16) and Amber Dearness (u16), who put in impressive efforts to reach K1 finals and put themselves into the selection mix.

Taylor Newman and Isaac Pittaway were standout performers in the u14 age group. Newman achieved a first and a second and Pittaway, two second placings.

The Kinsella, Pittaway and Webb families featured in the medal table for impressive performances from masters to u12s.

Overall, the club finished third out of the 12 clubs competing.

Results —

Gold medallists —

I Pittaway, A Kinsella: 14-and-under men's K2 500 metres.

Taylor Newman: 14/u women's K1 500m.

O Egan, M McKendry, M Ferguson, M Kennedy: 16/u men's K4 200m; 16/u men, K4 500m.

M McKendry, H Webb, A Dearness, T Newman, O Egan, A Kinsella: club relay 100m.

M Kennedy, A Dearness, M McKendry, H Webb: junior mixed K4 200m (16/u).

M Kennedy, H Webb, M McKendry, A Dearness: junior mixed relay 100m (16/u).

Andy Kinsella: master men's K1 200m.

A Kinsella, S Webb: master men's K2 200m; master men's K2 500m.

N Pittaway, K Gilbert, S Webb, G Mould: master men's K4 200m; master men's K4 500m.

Quaid Thompson: open men's K1 1000m.

Silver medallists —

Isaac Pittaway: 14/u men's K1 200m; 14/u men's K1 500m.

I Pittaway, A Kinsella, B Taylor, T Newman: 14/u mixed K4 200m; 14/u mixed K4 500m.

Taylor Newman: 14/u women's K1 200m.

Matt McKendry: 16/u men's K1 500m.

O Egan, M McKendry: 16/u men's K2 500m.

Hannah Webb: 16/u women's K1 500m.

A Dearness, H Webb: 16/u women's K2 200m; 16/u women's K2 500m.

L Ferguson, A Baker: 18/u men's K2 200m; 18/u men's K2 500m.

M McKendry, H Webb: junior mixed K2 200m (16/u).

Lauren Pittaway: master women's K1 200m; master women's K1 500m.

Zach Ferkins: open men's K1 200m.

Bronze medallists —

Gus Kinsella: 12/u men's K1 100m; 12/u men's K1 200m; 12/u men's K1 500m.

G Kinsella, T Webb: 12/u mixed K2 200m.

I Pittaway, A Kensella: 14/u men's K2 200m.

I McKenzie, T Newman: 14/u women's K2 200m.

Matt McKendry: 16/u men's K1 200m.

Maxwell Kennedy: 16/u men's K1 500m.

M McKendry, M Kennedy: 16/u men's K2 200m.

Hannah Webb: 16/u women's K1 200m.

Andy Kinsella: master men's K1 500m.

S Ferkins, A McVicar: open men's K2 500m.