Day Three 2018 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships
Persistent rain finally lifted for the third day of the 2018 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships with fiercely competitive semi-finals taking place across 20 events.
The women’s U20 single sculls first semi-final proved to be a tight race - for everyone bar Alice Grave of Auckland RPC, who crossed the finish line at 8:00.85 and 7 seconds ahead of second place Shannon Cox (Whangarei). In one of the closest fights for third place, one Central and two Waikato RPC boats finished with only 14 milliseconds between them. Waikato RPC's Stella Clayton-Grenne persevered securing the spot in 8:08.79. The second semi-final saw Ashburton’s Veronica Wall take the win in 7:58.33, two seconds faster than Grave’s time in the first semi-final. Waikato RPC’s Justine Hobbs (8:12.26) and Grace Holland (8:13.33) took second and third.
In the women’s club single sculls first semi-final, Counties-Manukau’s Scarlet Billingham powered through to take first place at 8:30.94. Waikato’s Anna Gallaher, who had a successful day yesterday in the women’s club coxless pair, took second place in 8:35.41, while Emma Wallace (North End) crossed the line third in 8:37.06. Grace Lewis (Cambridge) took the first heat away in a time of 8:32.11, with Ruby McManaway (Wairau) and Lenny Voorhaar (West End) taking second and third with times of 8:36.75 and 8:40.37 respectively.
The fight for a spot in the final of the women’s senior single sculls was also battled across two semi-finals. Aramaho Whanganui’s Georgia Nugent-O’Leary won the first semi-final comfortably in a time of 8:37.39. Mollie Gibson (Ashburton) and Whangarei’s Kendall Smith took second and third respectively in times of 8:42.38 and 8:44.63. The second semi-final saw yet another impressive win for Ashburton’s Veronica Wall, finishing in 8:23.80 and 27 seconds ahead of second place Lily Butler of Waikato RPC (8:50.93). Ashburton’s Grace Wilson took third place in a time of 8:52.65.
The men’s U20 single sculls saw a strong performance from Southern RPC in semi-final one. Mark Taylor (7:31.63), Zackary Rumble (7:35.03) and Jordon Gasson (7:37.22) proved they were a force to be reckoned with, taking the first three placings. Semi-final two saw another tight race and Auckland RPC’s Chris Stockley took the win in another impressive time of 7:33.60. Southern RPC excelled again with Bradley Leydon (7:35.64) and Joseph Graham (7:37.73) taking second and third respectively.
Cambridge’s Jason Nel, who placed first in his repechage yesterday in the men’s club coxless quad sculls, had another great race in the men’s club single sculls, taking first place in his semi-final in a time of 7:38.60. Ashburton’s Haxby Hefford took second place in 7:45.21 and Dunstan Arm’s Jacob Flanagan took third in 7:47.29. Semi-final two saw James Scott of Tauranga cross the line in 7:42.69, ahead of second and third place Finn Hamill (Waikato) and Matthew Rae (Ashburton) at 7:42.96 and 7:44.98.
There wasn’t a common club amongst place-winners in the men’s senior single sculls two semi-finals. Benjamin Norling of Waikato persevered to take first place with a time of 7:49.42. Tauranga and Oamaru’s Tracie McLaren-Taplin and Jared Brenssell secured second and third with times of 7:51.41 and 7:54.61. Aramoho Whanganui’s Luke Watts, returning from winning his heats in the men’s senior single, men’s senior double and men’s senior quad on Tuesday, powered through the second semi-final and finished in an impressive time of 7:40.85. Harrison Joseph (7:48.89) and Simon Smith (7:51.86) of Avon and Dunstan Arm raced to the finish, securing another two lanes in the final.