Tairāwhiti paddlers in the medals at waka ama, canoe racing secondary school nationals

Kayak paddlers in the Gisborne Boys’ High School 18-and-under male 100-metre relay team who won silver at the New Zealand Secondary School Canoe Racing National Championships at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) at Rotorua last week are (from left) Oliver Egan, Maia Campbell, James Hamblyn and Maxwell Kennedy. In the long-distance kayak race, Kennedy and Campbell finished first and second respectively, and Campbell was second in the K1 250m. At the waka ama secondary school nationals run in conjunction with the canoe racing event, Campbell earned thee more silver medals, in the W1 250m, the W6 250m and W6 500m (with a turn). Picture supplied

Seven Tairāwhiti individuals or teams won gold at the waka ama and canoe racing secondary school national championships last week, and one paddler won silver in all six of the events he entered.

This was the first time the secondary school waka ama and kayaking nationals were held together, and some paddlers took the opportunity to compete in both types of craft.

Gisborne Boys’ High School Year 13 student Maia Campbell, 17, entered the kayak 100-metre relay, the K1 250m and the K1 long-distance race in the 18-and-under age group. In waka ama (outrigger canoe) events, he entered the W1 250m, W6 250m and W6 500m in the u19 division. He and his teams contested finals at no less than the top level — some events had no heats — and took silver every time.

Kayaking gold medal winners were Jacqueline Kennedy (Gisborne Girls’ High School) in the 16-and-under female K1 250m Final A, Hannah Webb (GGHS) in the 18/under female K1 long-distance race, Maxwell Kennedy (Gisborne Boys’ High School) in the 18/under male K1 long-distance race, and the GGHS team in the 18/under female 100m relay.

Waka ama gold medal winners were Jack Gifford (Campion College) in the under-16 male W1 250m, Gisborne Girls Whitiora (GGHS) in the u16 female W6 250m, and Hine Brooking (GGHS) in the u19 female W1 250m.

Maia Campbell won the J19 250m dash at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karāpiro in January, improving on a third placing the previous year. His plans for next year are still being formed, but last week’s racing has set him up well for this year’s challenges.

He is training to paddle for Poverty Bay Kayak Club at the Canoe Racing New Zealand nationals in April and then will turn his attention to representing New Zealand in individual events at the waka ama world sprint championships in Hawaii in August. The bulk of his preparation for that will be done in Tahiti.

Campbell is steeped in waka ama culture through his family but his mother, Horouta club coach Kiwi Campbell, says he is enjoying the experience of a different but related watersport, and meeting the people who take part in it.

She said that while he would have hoped for a better result in his waka ama races, he was “happy with what he got”.

Results with Tairāwhiti links from the canoeing and waka ama secondary school nationals at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) at Rotorua last week –

Canoe Racing

New Zealand events

14-and-under female

K1 250 metres, Final A: Celia Willoughby (GGHS) 3rd in 1:10.47; Klara Pauwels (GGHS) 7th in 1:20.64.

K1 long distance, straight final: Celia Willougby (GGHS) 4th in 11:53.82; Klara Pauwels (GGHS) 9th in 13:25.54.

16-and-under female –

K1 250m, Final A: Jacqueline Kennedy (GGHS) 1st in 58.53 seconds; Taylor Newman (GGHS) third in 1:02.98; Georgia Hamblyn (GGHS) ninth in 1:14.63.

K1 long distance, straight final: Taylor Newman (GGHS) 2nd in 10:55.63; Georgia Hamblyn (GGHS) 10th in 12:54.07.

16-and-under male

K1 250m, Final B: AJ Kinsella (Gisborne Boys’ High School) 3rd in 1:05.77.

K1 long distance, straight final: AJ Kinsella (GBHS) 5th in 11:13.70.

18-and-under female

K1 250m, Final A: Hannah Webb (GGHS) 2nd in 58.08; Amber Dearness (GGHS) 3rd in 58.29.

K1 long distance, straight final: Hannah Webb (GGHS) 1st in 13:54.03; Amber Dearness (GGHS) 3rd in 14:06.50.

18-and-under male

K1 250m, Final A: Maia Campbell (GBHS) 2nd in 49.83; Oliver Egan (GBHS) 4th in 50.97; Maxwell Kennedy (GBHS) 7th in 53.40; James Hamblyn 8th in 53.61.

K1 long distance, straight final: Maxwell Kennedy (GBHS) 1st in 12:24.31; Maia Campbell (GBHS) 2nd in 12:48.12; Oliver Egan (GBHS) 4th in 12:54.21; James Hamblyn (GBHS) 6th in 14:03.42; Frazor Wainohu (GBHS) 14th in 16:57.39.

Relays

16-and-under female 100m relay: Gisborne Girls’ High School (G Hamblyn, K Pauwels, C Willoughby and P Wainohu) 2nd in 2:33.50.

18-and-under female 100m relay: GGHS (A Dearness, H Webb, J Kennedy, T Newman) 1st in 1:52.03.

18-and-under male 100m relay: Gisborne Boys’ High School (J Hamblyn, M Kennedy, M Campbell, O Egan) 2nd in 1:35.82; CRNZ Combined Schools (M Toloa, F Wainohu, E Reti, K Thrupp) 3rd in 2:03.79.

Waka ama events

Under-16 male

W1 250m, Te Ihu Final: Jack Gifford (Campion College) 1st in 1:04.66.

W6 250m, Te Ihu Final: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui, 4th in 59.24; Campion Kapiana Boys (Campion) 10th in 1:05.18.

Te Takere Final: Gisborne Boys Toa (GBHS) 1st in 1:02.56.

Te Kei Final: Gisborne Boys Mana (GBHS) 3rd in 1:00.48; TKKM o Te Waiu o Ngāti Porou Nukutere, 9th in 1:08.09.

W6 500m, Te Ihu Final: TKKM o Ngā Uri a Māui, 2nd in 2:16.75.

Te Kei Final: TKKM o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa Tapokorau, 6th in 2:48.72.

Under-16 female

W1 250m, Te Ihu Final: Losi Toupili (GGHS) 7th in 1:22.60.

W6 250m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Girls Whitiora (GGHS) 1st in 1:03.80; Campion Kapiana Maidens (Campion) 6th in 1:09.99.

Te Takere Final: TKKM o Ngā Uri a Māui, 4th in 1:14.24; Manutūkē School, 5th in 1:14.70; Tolaga Bay Ūawa Girls (Tolaga Bay Area School Kuranui) 7th in 1:15.83.

W6 500m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Girls Whitiora (GGHS) 2nd in 2:29.29; Campion Kapiana Maidens (Campion) 6th in 2:42.01; TKKM o Ngā Uri a Māui, 8th in 2:48.69.

Te Takere Final: Tolaga Bay Ūawa Girls (Tolaga Bay Area School Kuranui) 2nd in 2:43.28.

Te Kei Final: Manutūkē School, 1st in 2:44.04; TKKM o Horouta Wananga Taikoriko, 2nd in 2:56.34.

Under-16 mixed

W12 250m, Te Ihu Final: TKKM o Ngā Uri a Māui, 5th in 1:04.53.

Te Takere Final: TKKM o Te Waiu o Ngāti Porou Nukutaimemeha, 5th in 1:13.53.

Under-19 male

W1 250m, Te Ihu Final: Maia Campbell (GBHS) 2nd in 1:04.11; Kane Soto (GBHS) 5th in 1:07.56; Kyan Ayton (GBHS) 6th in 1:09.43; Frazor Wainohu (GBHS) 8th in 1:10.81.

W6 250m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Boys (GBHS) 2nd in 53.36.

Te Takere Final: Manutūkē School, 1st in 58.89.

W6 500m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Boys (GBHS) 2nd in 2:07.18.

Te Takere Final: Manutūkē School, 2nd in 2:21.23.

Te Kei Final: TKKM o Horouta Wananga Tamanuku, 1st in 2:33.00.

Under-19 female

W1 250m, Te Ihu Final: Hine Brooking (GGHS) 1st in 1:10.59; Cheidan Moetara (Manutuke School) 7th in 1:15.66; Brooke Ruru (GGHS) 9th in 1:19.32.

Te Takere Final: Alyx Wairau (Wairoa College) 3rd in 1:34.71.

W6 250m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Girls Kuia (GGHS) 6th in 1:06.92.

Te Takere Final: TKKM o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa Matangirau, 12th in 1:14.56.

Te Kei Final: TKKM o Horouta Wānanga Taiwahine, 4th in 1:18.51.

W6 500m, Te Ihu Final: Gisborne Girls Kuia (GGHS) 6th in 2:36.77.

Te Takere Final: Gisborne Girls Moko (GGHS) 4th in 2:44.88.

Under-19 mixed –

W12 250m, Te Takere Final: Manutūkē School, 1st in 1:04.02; Lytton High (Lytton High School) 7th in 1:12.92.