63 King’s rowers were in action on Saturday at the showpiece Auckland schools’ event and received a total of three gold, four silver and four bronze medals as well as winning seven other races.
Gold Medals
Jack Mitchell (Year 12, Averill), who won a silver in his age group at last year’s North Island Secondary Schools’ Rowing Championships, proved that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year by storming to a convincing victory in the opening race of the day, the Under 17 Single Sculls, showing guts and determination to head off the challenges of Huanui College and Auckland Grammar crews to the title.
The Boys U16 Coxed Quad Sculls of Lewis Mazza-Carson (Year 11, Peart), Cole Barfoot (Year 12, Marsden), Callan Ogilvie (Year 11, School), Baxter McGillivray (Year 12, Averill) and cox Oliver Horton (Year 11, Major) produced an impressive performance to edge Macleans College and Glendowie College to a gold medal.
Amiria-Rose Monga (Year 13, Marion Bruce) and Tahara-Jayne Rusden Rowley (Year 12, Marion Bruce) produced an excellent display to win gold in the Girls Novice Under 18 Double Sculls beating Glendowie College and Huanui College in convincing style.
Silver Medals
There were silver medals by four King’s crews. The Boys Under 17 Double Sculls team of Jack Mitchell and Jack Trusler (Year 12, Peart), finished just behind Huanui College and ahead of Takapuna Grammar to finish second. The Boys Under 16 Coxed Eight of Lewis Mazza-Carson, Thaddeus Cryer (Year 11, St John's), Cole Barfoot, Baxter McGillivray, Callan Ogilvie, Ethan Henderson (Year 11, Major), Raniera Whiu (Year 11, Parnell), Daniel Wyber (Year 11, School) and cox Oliver Horton also claimed a silver medal, finishing just behind Westlake Boys and ahead of Auckland Grammar.
Te Aria Jackson (Year 13, Marion Bruce) won silver in the Girls Under 18 Single Sculls finishing just behind the Hauraki Plains College rower and then won a second silver when she paired up int the Girls Under 17 Double Sculls with Setai Setoga (Year 11, Taylor).
Bronze Medals
Four King’s crews took home bronze medals from the regatta. The Boys U17 Coxed Eight of Eddie Holdsworth (Year 12, Selwyn), Raniera Whiu, Laga Jensen (Year 12, Major), Ethan Henderson, Aden Urwin (Year 12, Peart), Daniel Wyber, Winston Yan (Year 12, St John's), Aidan Hyland (Year 11, Marsden) and cox Jamie Christmas (Year 12, Averill) finished third behind Westlake Boys and Auckland Grammar.
Te Aria Jackson was the most successful King’s rower at the event when she added to her two silver medals with a bronze in the punishing Girls Under 17 Single Sculls, finishing behind the Macleans and Mt Albert Grammar rowers.
Charles Finlayson (Year 13, Selwyn) won a bronze in the Boys Under 18 Single Sculls finishing third behind St Peter’s College and Auckland Grammar.
The Boys Under 17 Coxed Four of Lewis Mazza-Carson, Jack Trusler, Jack Mitchell, Cole Barfoot and James Chapman (Year 12, Peart) earned bronze behind Mt Albert and Westlake Boys in their race.
There were eight other race winners and medallists:
- No heats are held at Head of Harbour due to time constraints. With only eight lanes, it pushes some top crews into the Division Two race, so crews who win a Division Two race also took home Auckland Championship medals if there were other Division 1 crews in their race.
- The Girls Under 17 Coxed Quad Sculls crew of Te Aria Jackson, Setai Setoga, Tahara-Jayne Rusden Rowley, Leala Willman (Year 11, Marion Bruce) and cox Lilian Kidd (Year 11, Marion Bruce) won their Division Two race
- Cameron Abel (Year 13, Major) in Division 2 of the Boys Under 18 Single Sculls
- Alex Tooman (Year 13, Selwyn) and Hugo Hay (Year 12, Selwyn) won Division 3 of the Boys U17 Double Sculls
- Eddie Holdsworth was a popular winner of Division Three of the Boys Under 16 Single Sculls, finishing strongly to move up from third to snatch victory on the line in a dramatic finish
- Aidan Hyland finished third in Division Two of the Boys U16 Single Sculls earning himself a bronze medal.
- Lachlan Pearce (Year 13, Parnell) and Tyler Wright (Year 13, Greenbank) were placed first in Division Three of the Boys Under 18 Double Sculls
- Hugo Hay in Division Four of the Boys Under 17 Single Sculls
- Georg Dalgleish (Year 12, Greenbank) and Hugh Malaghan (Year 13, Selwyn), first in Division 4 of the Boys Under 17 Double Sculls
Head of Rowing Brendan Boreham said: “I am delighted with the efforts of our rowers at the Head of Harbour and there were a number of impressive performances. The Rowing Club is continuing to grow at King’s and the rowers have built a great foundation for the business end of the season.”
There are three more events for our Rowing Club this season, all held at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge with the Aon Junior Regatta on 27-28 February, followed a week later by the North Island Secondary Schools Regatta held from 5-7 March and then the prestigious Maadi Cup from 22-27 March 2021.
Thanks to Continental Cars Porsche and Structurflex for their support of King's Rowing.
