Dates: 7-9 Mar 2025
Location: Lake Karapiro
Team size: 50 athletes across U15, U16, U17, U18 age groups
Highlights: While all crews had some excellent racing across the weekend, our Senior athletes showed their form in winning the U17 and U18 pairs and taking silver in the U18 four and U18 8+.
In the U18 pair, Charlotte and Maeve led from start to finish despite a strong challenge from Sacred Heart Girls College in the first 750m. The Westlake Girls crew pushed out in the race’s second half to win by 11 seconds. Their time was 7:35,22 – only 4 seconds slower than the Maadi record for that event.
The U17 pair of Talia and Sacha had to hold their nerve slightly longer as Wanganui Collegiate hung on until the last 500m. Talia and Sacha made a decisive move with 400m to go, taking control of the race and pushing away from their competitors to win by 4 seconds in challenging conditions.
In the U18 4+, Waikato Dio jumped out to their trademark lead, but the Westlake Girls crew hung with them all the way through the race. Going into the last 500m, Westlake and Epsom Girls were locked in a battle for 2nd while Waikato Dio maintained the lead. The Westlake crew found another gear with 250m to go and pulled away from Epsom to finish 2nd with the closest margin to Waikato Dio we’ve had all season.
However, the biggest highlight of the day was the U18 8+, who had to overcome a crew member falling ill at the last minute. With a substitute on board, the crew attacked the race with courage and confidence. While Waikato Dio sat out in front from the start, Westlake Girls, Dio, and Wanganui Collegiate remained locked in a battle for 2nd and 3rd for the entire race. Once again, the Westlake Girls rowed effectively and found an extra gear to leave Wanganui Collegiate with 500m to go and hold off a fast-charging Dio for 2nd. Once again, this is the closest the crew has been to Waikato Dio all season, which is all the more impressive with a substitute on board.
Photos by Conrad Blind, Rowing Picture Show