Line ups for the big finals confirmed

Line ups for the big finals confirmed

Wednesday at the Aon Maadi Cup is all about the last chance for some crews to hit the targets they set during thousands of kilometres of training and make the main and highly coveted A Finals – and today was no exception with many crews ending up in the rowing equivalent of dogfights for the last few places in Friday and Saturday’s finals.

It was definitely the ‘last chance saloon’ for crews hoping for success in the Aon Maadi Cup itself and the two repechages did not disappoint. Former multiple champions Hamilton Boys led the charge in the first repechage, racing home in six minutes to finish just a few feet ahead of Macleans College. St Bedes made it through in third but a good nine seconds in arrears whilst Christs’ College second boat, St Johns, Hamilton and Tauranga Boys head for the B Final.

Marlborough Boys raced their way to a place in the coveted final in a rapid 5 minutes 58 seconds, less than a second ahead of Christ’s College in another hotly contested rep with another Canterbury crew, Christchurch Boys High School, rounding out the top three. St Kentigern College, Sacred Heart and Wanganui Collegiate all missed out and will head to the B Final.

That makes an unusual nine boat final with the ninth crew the one everyone will have to look out for - Nudgee College from Australia - who showed a very clean pair of heels to the best of the New Zealand bunch over a shortened 1000 metre race on Tuesday. Holders Auckland Grammar and the fancied Westlake College complete the field.

In the Levin Jubilee Cup for the country’s top junior rowing women, Craighead Diocesan led home a four boat train of qualifiers for the main final in another gripping race. Less than one second behind them were Baradene College, with Diocesan School for Girls (Auckland) just over a second behind them and Marlborough Girls completing the line up of finalists in fourth.

In the premier Under 18 category for fours, the remaining finalists for the top junior men’s coxed four event, the Springbok Shield, were decided with Wood, Thomas, Potter, Jenkins and cox Herbert came home less than a length ahead of the field to secure their spot for Napier Boys High School.

Macleans College – having a good regatta in 2012 – and Westlake joined them for Friday’s showdown while in the women’s event, the Dawn Cup, it was a battle royal between Wanganui outfits High School and Collegiate, with High School taking the win and Collegiate leading home the other qualifier Marlborough Girls.

Results can be found at www.maadi.co.nz

ENDS

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