Finishing the rowing season on a high

Nelson College's Murdoch Smith has come home with the region's only medal from this year's Maadi Cup.

The flagship event for young rowers saw 41 locals in the mix, with 15 Nelson College rowers and a big squad of 26 from Nelson College for Girls.

After earning the title of the fastest South Islander and gold in the U16 single sculls weeks earlier, Murdoch solidified that title with a bronze in the same event at Maadi.

With only North Island rowers beating him, his race saw him stand on the bottom step of the podium alongside his father and coach, Brent Smith.

The result came after Murdoch teamed up with Olly White to finish fifth in the A Final of the U16 double sculls.

To round out the boys' results, Ethan Steele and Ted Callaghan won the B Final of the Boys U18 Coxless Pair Oars to finish ninth in the country and earn themselves a Top Ten Badge, awarded to rowers who place in the top ten of U18 events.

Nelson College for Girls's squad's growing depth was evident, with 24 of its rowers representing their school in an A or B Final.

By the end of the week, they had earned two Top Ten Badges, five A Finals and five B Finals.

The best of the bunch were Maddie Collis and Naomi Robertson, who finished an agonising fourth in the Girls U18 Double Sculls, earning themselves a Top Ten Badge. At the South Island Secondary Schools regatta two weeks earlier, Collis and Robertson had won a silver in this event, so they were always in the hunt for a medal, but it was not to be at the Maadi Cup.

The girls combined with Millie Treder, Hollie John and cox Ruby Southwick to finish 6th in the Girls U18 Coxed Four to claim another Top Ten Badge.

The school's other A Finalists were the Girls U18 Novice Coxed Four crew of Casey Newbury, Grace Palmer, Olive Forrester, Freda Turnbull and cox Brie Williams who finished fifth; the Girls U16 Coxed Four crew of Fern Backhouse-Smith, Mia Cliffe, Isla Martine, Frankie Palmer and cox Ruby Southwick who placed eighth along with the Girls U17 Coxless Pair oars combination of Chloe Steele and Gracie Ames who also placed eighth in their A Final.

In a season that was marred by wind-disrupted regattas, Lake Ruataniwha put on a glorious week of near-perfect rowing conditions, which was a fantastic end to another season of club and school rowing.