Students shine at waka ama nationals

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

Tairāwhiti paddlers drew on reserves built by years of training to shine at the secondary school waka ama nationals in Rotorua last month.

Cyclone Gabrielle scuttled well-laid plans for final preparations, and coaches had to be inventive to keep their paddlers active in the weeks leading up to the nationals.

This year the divisions — championship, plate and bowl — were updated to reflect the different parts of the waka.

Championship events were designated Te Ihu (front of waka).

Plate events were Te Takere (middle of waka).

Bowl events were Te Kei (back of waka).

A highlight of the championships for Tairāwhiti was the under-16 boys’ W1 250-metre Te Ihu final.

Gisborne Boys’ High School student Maia Campbell won the race in one minute and 0.14 of a second.

Kane Soto, also from Gisborne Boys’ High School, was second in 1:02.81.

Frazor Wainohu, formerly of Gisborne Boys’ High and the only paddler representing Palmerston North Boys’ High at the nationals, was third in 1:04.51.

Other Tairāwhiti results in Te Ihu (championship) finals were —

Under-19 boys’ W1 250m: 2nd, Mahaki Albrett-Tureia (GBHS) 1:02.33 (1.90 seconds behind winner); DQ (disqualified), TK Nikora-Peri (GBHS) 1:04.43.

U19 girls’ W1 250m: 2nd, Hine Brooking (Gisborne Girls’ High School) 1:06.50 (0.09 of a second behind winner); 9th, Az Tahiwi (GGHS) 1:18.07.

U16 mixed W12 250m: 6th, Gisborne Boys’ Te Tairawhiti (GBHS) 0:59.10.

U19 mixed W12 250m: 8th, Gisborne Boys’ Turanga/Gisborne Girls’ High School (GBHS) 0:59.43; 11th, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui, 1:01.87.

U16 boys’ W6 500m (with turn): 2nd, Gisborne Boys’ Ruaumoko (GBHS) 2:13.50.

U16 girls’ W6 500m (with turn): 5th, Gisborne Girls’ Te Ata Mahina (GGHS) 2:32.04.

U19 boys’ W6 500m (with turn): 4th, Gisborne Boys’ Turanga Tane (GBHS) 2:13.30.

U19 girls’ W6 500m (with turn): 2nd, Gisborne Girls’ Kopara (GGHS) 2:28.61 (0.03 of a second behind winning team).

U16 boys’ W6 250m: 2nd, Gisborne Boys’ Ruaumoko (GBHS) 0:55.77 (0.34 of a second behind winning team and 0.11 of a second ahead of third-placegetters); DQ, Tolaga Bay UAWA (Tolaga Bay Area School Kuranui) 1:02.40.

U16 girls’ W6 250m: 6th, Gisborne Girls’ Te Ata Mahina (GGHS) 1:05.88.

U19 boys’ W6 250m: 5th, Gisborne Boys’ Turanga Tane (GBHS) 0:54.49 (0.54 of a second behind bronze-medal-winning team).

U19 girls’ W6 250m: 3rd, Gisborne Girls’ Kopara (GGHS) 1:05.08 (0.02 of a second behind second-placed team); 4th, Lytton Hinetu (Lytton High School) 1:05.62.

Tairāwhiti results in Te Takere (plate) finals were —

U16 boys’ W1 250m: 1st, Jack Gifford (Campion College) 1:10.80.

U19 girls’ W1 250m: 5th, Meihana Raureti (Wairoa College) 1:23.61.

U19 mixed W12 250m: 1st, Lytton High School, 0:59.47.

U16 boys’ W6 500m (with turn): 1st, Tolaga Bay UAWA (Tolaga Bay Area School Kuranui) 2:25.84.

U19 girls’ W6 500m (with turn): 2nd, Gisborne Girls’ Korihi (GGHS) 2:40.92; 8th, Gisborne Girls’ Whitiora (GGHS) 3:04.92.

U19 boys’ W6 250m: 3rd, Manutuke School, 1:01.58 (0.42 of a second behind second-placed team); 4th, Lytton Ritana Toa (LHS) 1:01.87.

U19 girls’ W6 250m: 12th, Gisborne Girls’ Whitiora (GGHS) 1:15.78.

Tairāwhiti results in Te Kei (bowl) finals were —

U19 boys’ W6 500m (with turn): 4th, Lytton Ritana Toa (LHS) 2:28.85.

U19 girls’ W6 500m (with turn): 2nd, WAI COL (Wairoa College) 2:53.02 (0.66 of a second behind winning team).

U16 girls’ W6 250m: 1st, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui, 1:09.33.