2019 Aon Maadi Cup - Day Six
The 2019 Aon Maadi Cup (New Zealand Secondary School Championships) was hosted by Karapiro Rowing Inc. at Lake Karapiro, Cambridge from 25 - 30 March. Run by the NZSSRA and Rowing NZ, the Aon Maadi Cup is the national championships for school rowing. Being New Zealand's largest rowing regatta, it's the most prestigious event on the school rowing calendar with six days of racing. Races for A and B finals across 24 events were contested between 8.23am and 4.10pm today, with the infamous Levin Jubilee Cup and Maadi Cup being the last two races of the day. Results from all races today can be found at rowit.nz. In 2018, St Peter’s School (Cambridge) took an easy first place in the girl’s U18 eightwith Rangi Ruru Girls’ School taking silver, and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls taking bronze. This year’s line-up included St Margaret’s College 1, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, St Peter’s School (Cambridge), Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, Whanganui Collegiate School, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, Canterbury Girls’ High School and St Margaret’s College 2. St Margaret’s College 1 took the win and the Levin Jubilee Cup in a nail-biting contest with Waikato Diocesan School for Girls and St Peter’s School (Cambridge), taking silver and bronze respectively. St Margaret’s College coach Ian Smallman commented after their race, ‘I’m just really proud of how well they rowed, there were a few girls in today’s boat who had an off season last year with various set-backs, and getting them all back into their best condition for today’s final has being incredibly satisfying.’’ The Levin Jubilee Cup is historically dominated by schools from the Canterbury region despite its North Island origins. In 1981 when Levin-hosted the Maadi regatta on Lake Horowhenua, Levin’s then Mayor Jack Bolderson contributed an award to celebrate the Levin Borough Council’s 75th Jubilee. First won by Whanganui Girls’ College, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School have since won it 15 times. In the boy’s U18 eight, Christ’s College won gold in 2018 and were strong contenders for taking away this year’s win. Out in the lead from the start, Christ’s College maintained a high rating with Christchurch Boys’ High School not far behind. Christchurch Boys’ High School made their move at the 1000m mark by which stage it was clearly a battle only between the two Christchurch schools, with the rest of the field falling behind. Christchurch Boys’ High School steadily increased their pace and eventually took the lead, crossing the finish line in 5:54.31 with Christ’s College taking silver in 5:55.71. Auckland Grammar School took bronze in 6:03.86. Today’s race marks the first occasion that Christchurch Boys’ High School has won the coveted Maadi Cup. The Maadi Cup hails from WWII, where two NZEF members based at Maadi Camp in Egypt raced in regattas on the Nile against the Egyptians. The Kiwi Oarsmen beat the Cairo River Club in 1943 to win the Freyburg Cup, which was then gifted back to Cairo River Club. In return, Youssef Baghat also presented the Kiwi crew with a cup. At the end of that year the cup was offered to the New Zealand Rowing Association as a trophy for an annual boy’s eight-oared race between secondary schools, and it was then that it was renamed the Maadi Cup. Craighead Diocesan School’s Phoebe Trolove took first place and a gold medal in the final of the girl’s U18 single scull in a time of 7:55.70. Eva Hofmans of Bayfield High School took silver in 7:57.71 with Beckie Leigh of St Peter’s School (Cambridge) taking bronze in 7:57.95. Trolove also took silver in the girl’s U18 coxed quad, while bronze medallist Leigh also won the girl’s U18 double scull yesterday alongside crewmate Teri Wyatt. A brilliant race was had in the boy’s U18 single scull with Jason Nel from St Peter’s School (Cambridge) leading from start to finish in an extraordinary fashion, at one stage holding three boat lengths on the rest of the field, taking gold in 7:18.13. Ben Mason of Otago Boys’ High School maintained second position for the majority of the 2000m course, with a real battle between Hauraki Plains College’s Eric Gruythusen and Josh Mallet of Scot’s College. Thomas Hall of King’s College slowly worked his way up the field overtook Gruythusen in second place, with Hall taking silver by a mere 0.05. Gruythusen took bronze with Mason and Mallet taking fourth and fifth place respectively. In the girl’s U16 coxed four Waikato Diocesan School for Girls’ crew of stroke Georgia Jefferis, Brooke Carter, Sophie Holten, Jessica Horrigan and coxswain Charlotte Grey took a narrow first place and gold medal in 6:26.09, with Sacred Heart Girls’ College (Hamilton) taking silver in 7:26.73. Canterbury Girls’ High School took bronze in 7:29.85. St Paul’s Collegiate took out gold in the boy’s novice coxed four with stroke Tom Haycock, Luther Yate, Alexander Gunn, Campbell Colquhon and coxswain Sam Ward. Coached by James Harvey and Tom Kerr, the crew crossed the line in 6:55.13 out in front of Hamilton Boys’ High School who took silver, and Christ’s College who took bronze. In the girl’s U17 double scull Rosie Frood and Courtney Ryan of Tauranga Girls’ College took gold in 7:39.49, with Timaru Girls’ High School’s Molly Clayton and Briar Mallinson taking silver in 7:39.78. Caitlin Doddrell and Bailey Morrison of Hauraki Plain’s College took bronze in 7:44.45. In the boy’s U15 coxed four it was only North Island crews on the dais with Hamilton Boys’ High School taking gold, Mt Albert Grammar School taking silver and Howick College taking bronze. Hamilton Boys’ High School’s stroke Toby Smith, Simon Dmitrenko, Adam Wilson, Lucas Cooke and coxswain Fletcher Cook crossed the finish line in 6:59.89, almost ten seconds ahead of Mt Albert Grammer School (7:09.08). Christchurch Boys’ High School were the overall champion school of the 2019 Aon Maadi Cup with 42 points on the official tally, with Hamilton Boys’ High School finishing second with 37 points. St Peter’s School (Cambridge) placed third overall with 28 points. Points are awarded to crews that finish in the top three in A finals – 5 points for 1st, 3 points for 2nd and 1 point for 3rd. Throughout the 2019 Aon Maadi Cup, rowit.nz has had over 2 million page views across 60 countries. Quick facts
Sponsor support Aon has been a major partner to Rowing NZ for over 14 years, and the Aon Maadi Cup continues to be proudly sponsored by Aon. Aon is the leading provider of insurance broking, risk management and associated services both in New Zealand and globally. They pride themselves on protecting all different kinds of Kiwis, from young families through to businesses and farms of all types and sizes. With over 950 staff located in offices spanning from Kerikeri to Invercargill, Kiwis will be sure to find a local Aon broker no matter where they live. ‘’Aon have supported rowing in New Zealand for almost 15 years, and it’s a relationship we’re both grateful for and immensely proud of. Fostering secondary school rowing is incredibly important – it obviously generates talent for future New Zealand representatives, but more importantly it helps grow New Zealand’s youth into great people. Aon have never been the type to provide us with financial support and walk away – they genuinely care about our sport and athletes, and are familiar faces at our regattas across the country. In recent years their support has stretched to working with secondary schools directly and providing much needed equipment. The Aon Maadi Cup remains one of the biggest secondary school sporting events in New Zealand and we’re proud to work alongside Aon to bring it to life each year.’’ Simon Peterson, Rowing NZ Chief Executive SKY Sport Rowing NZ proudly welcomed SKY Sport to this week’s regatta and a highlights package of the 2019 Aon Maadi Cup will be broadcast from 3 April. 3 April .......................8.00pm..................SKY Sport 4 3 April ........................11:30pm................SKY Sport 4 4 April ........................8.30am..................SKY Sport 4 4 April ........................1.30pm..................SKY Sport 1 4 April ........................5.00pm..................SKY Sport 1 5 April ........................3.30pm..................SKY Sport 1 6 April ........................7.30am..................SKY Sport 3 |