Rowing: Aramoho Whanganui scullers perform with distinction at Lake Karāpiro

Whanganui sculler Madeline Cox will compete in the girls quadruple sculls at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Ontario, Canada.

Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club members and supporters are delighted with the results from two of their athletes on Lake Karāpiro.

Whanganui High School student Jake Newton contributed significantly to the North Island comprehensively defeating the South Island at the recent annual Under-18 North Versus South Island Rowing Regatta.

Jake trialled initially with seven other North Island boys in various double scull combinations, winning most of his races over 1000m, and ultimately was selected as the North’s No 1 single sculler as well as being allocated the two seat of the North’s boys quadruple scull.

He then raced against the two South Island single scullers and Nathan Strachan (McLeans College), the North’s No 2 entry, over the full course. Jake won the race by 8s from Strachan and was 11s ahead of the first South Island competitor.

In the quadruple sculls, there was an exciting finish with the South Island winning by a mere 0.3s. The two boats faced off again the following day, with the South triumphing by a narrow 2.6s.

Points were awarded on the basis of 5, 3, 2, 1 over the two days of competition, with the North Island winning comprehensively overall by 80 points from the South Island’s 46 points.

The South Island boys sweep crews were deducted 14 points “in response to an incident”; however, this did not detract from the overall dominance of the North Island this year, with the wins coming from the girls single, coxless pair, quad and eight (which included Whanganui Collegiate rowers Olive Strachan and Ottalie Morah) who won on both days.

Whanganui rower Jake Newton celebrates with the NZ Under-18 North v South Aggregate Points Trophy.

The North boys’ victories came in the single scull (Jake), double sculls, coxless pairs, coxed fours (with Whanganui Collegiate’s Ben Poulton) and eight (with Ben Poulton). The eight also won twice.

Jake will now continue with the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club’s (AWRC) winter programme, which will include the Whanganui Rowing Association’s Monthly Winter Series events.

Trials also took place on Lake Karāpiro for the New Zealand under-19 rowing team with Aramoho Whanganui sculler Madeline Cox securing a seat in the girls quadruple sculls, which will compete at the World Junior Rowing Championships in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada, in August.

Maddy has just completed her fourth season of rowing after commencing her rowing career at Hamilton Girls’ High School and is continuing her progress in the sport, having made the North Island team two years ago.

AWRC director of rowing Axel Dickinson, who has coached Maddy over two of her seasons, believes the NZ girls junior quad has great potential to be a genuine podium contender on the world stage this year.

Commenting on Maddy’s strengths, Dickinson said with her height (185.4cm) and wingspan she has an ideal physiology for a female sculler. She is also hard working and loves to race. Her 2km score personal best of 6m59s on the rowing ergometer was among the highest of the triallists.

After the World Junior Rowing Championships, Maddy will take up a scholarship at Berkeley University, California. Because her father and extended family hail from Vermont, Maddy should have little difficulty settling into life in the United States.