BY DAVID OGILVIE David.ogilvie@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
The big ones got away, but Wanganui Collegiate rowing coach Fiona Symes says the one gold, four bronze haul from the Maadi Cup rowing regatta "was realistic, in hindsight".
Collegiate had high hopes their under-18 girls' four and eight would repeat last year's cup-winning efforts ? but they found that rumours the South Island were strong were well-founded and had to settle for two bronzes in those events.
Christchurch's Rangi Ruru and Nelson Girls headed Collegiate in the Levin Cup U18 eights in Saturday's penultimate event, and Rangi Ruru and fellow Christchurch school, St Margarets, finished ahead in Friday's U18 fours.
Oddly enough the Nelson Girls' effort was one of the few the Ian Weenink-guided Nelson crews didn't dominate. The former Aramoho and Wanganui High School mentor took away nine golds with his Nelson crews ? a remarkable effort within the space of a few months from leaving Wanganui.
It shows what a great loss he is to the area ? and how important it is for Rowing Wanganui to complete arrangements to keep Calvin Ferguson in the city.
The Collegiate boys, as expected, failed to worry the scorers too much, netting only a bronze from the U18 boys novice eight.
The U18 boys, always seeming to be in a battle for the minor placings in the Maadi Cup race, went out very strongly and battled to hold on, eventually, in sixth place. Hamilton Boys High totally dominated the race.
But Symes says it's not all doom and gloom. She's certain she and John Symes can field two very competitive eights in next year's Maadi Cup regatta.
"Looking back, it was a realistic result," said Fiona Symes. "Rangi Ruru had exactly the same (eights) crew that we beat last year, so they had another full year on them.
"And they were dead keen to get back at us ? so it was always going to be a struggle because we probably haven't had the competition to push us hard enough up here."
Collegiate finished almost 10sec ahead of the next North Island school, Waikato Diocesan.
"So really we were pleased with our efforts. We pushed it hard. And we were really happy with the under-17 four (gold medal winners)."
Collegiate loses just three out of this year's eight for next year ? Natalie McMaster, Kate Austin and Amanda Cranston. The downside to that positive note is that ? amazingly ? only two of the Rangi Ruru girls will be leaving school.
"But we've got a good head start on the boys' eight this year, and that's a big help. Four are returning from this year's squad."
Symes does admit, though, that life is not getting any easier for the smaller crews ? despite rule changes limiting big schools from having more than two "imports" in an eight crew, and one in a four.
"There is some controversy about this law ? a lot of schools are saying that this is still two too many," Symes said.
"You only need a couple to build a big eight around."
And there, sitting in the middle of the dominant Hamilton Boys High eight, was former Wanganui High School student Tyler Sherman, at Hamilton on a scholarship.
"It's not going to get any easier," Symes said.
We did ok, says rowing coach
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