Hauraki Plains College build on Maadi success
Hauraki Plains College are sending a big rowing squad to Lake Karapiro after a successful Maadi regatta last year in the South Island
This year Hauraki Plains College will send one of its biggest squads to the Aon Maadi Cup, after a highly successful outing last year.
Twenty-nine of the 44 rowing students will represent their school in the competition at Lake Karapiro.
Last year, two of the girls’ crews won gold, and the school is hoping for more success this week.
One of those returning is Stella Clayton-Greene, who won gold at Lake Ruataniwha in the under 16 double and coxed quad sculls, and silver in the under 16 single sculls.
She said this year the senior students all want medals, but that’s not the main focus.
“A thing in our crew is we try not to think about the medal, we just think about the process.
“If we happen to get silver, if we still had executed the best race we could, we still would be proud.”
Cox Annabelle Prescott, who is also returning this year, agreed. “A medal is like a byproduct,” she said.
While twin brothers Scott and Marc McDermott won their B final in their under 17 coxed quad last year, this year the aim is to get into the A finals.
The squad are looking for a boost from home advantage after having to adapt to unfamiliar conditions at Lake Ruataniwha in the South Island last year.
The senior students have been training five days a week twice a day on Piako River, beginning at 5:45am.
Rowing required high commitment, principal Ngaire Harris said.
“It’s not for the faint hearted: you’ve got to be pretty committed and quite resilient,” she said.
HPC has offered rowing to its students for more than 40 years.
The school started rowing in 1973, attending its first Maadi Cup in 1974.
The school also holds its own race, the “Muddi Cup”, which earned its name from the appearance of Piako River. However, Hauraki Plains has yet to win its own competition, which has been dominated by St Peter’s School.
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