Rowing: Hat-trick at NZ Masters for Creswell

Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

Some smart times from Australian Anne Creswell featured at the New Zealand Masters Games indoor rowing in Wanganui yesterday.

Despite being the oldest in the women's lightweight, Creswell, 72, from Benalla, clocked the fastest times in the grade over 500m, 2000m and 10,000m in claiming a hat-trick of titles.

Masterton's Diane Chesmar, 55, also featured in the lightweights with five gold medals and Aucklander Annette Fletcher, fastest over 300m, won three events.

Most successful in the heavyweight women's division were local rowers Eileen Fleming, 71, with four wins, and Karen Earle with three.

Wanganui lightweight Patrick Carroll, 45, was quickest over 300m, 2000m, 1000m and 10,000m while Albert Lawback, 80, (Tauranga) also won four titles.

Hamilton's John Nicholson, who headed off Paul Beckett by five points in the over 90kg class, halted an Auckland clean-sweep of winning all nine medals in blokart racing held at the Ohakea Air Base. Grant Clark and Russell Harray also won titles.

The Pakuranga club was to the fore on the opening day of lawn bowls with skip Geoff Earle, Linda Earle, Bob Nasey and Sheryn Anderson winning the mixed fours and skip Anne Wells adding bronze medals for Pakuranga. Gonville skip Joe Huwyler and Bryan Ingram, in the champion men's four last Games, linked up with Hilary Huwyler and Joan Thomas to finish second.

- NZPA