Maadi Cup and Levin Jubilee Cup final line ups decided

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE MCARTHUR Auckland Grammar's under-18 coxed eight on their way to qualifying for the Maadi Cup A final

The final line ups for the Maadi Cup and Levin Jubilee Cup were decided today at the 2017 Aon Maadi Cup.

After revelling in yesterday's sunshine Lake Karapiro was drenched in heavy rain throughout the day, but with mercifully light winds allowing for racing to go ahead as planned.

The day included the repechages to finalise the last two berths in both the boys' and girls' under-18 coxed eight, the Maadi Cup and the Levin Jubilee Cup. There were also 36 other events featuring repechages, quarter-finals and E and F finals.

With the last chance to snare a berth in the A final on the line there was some frantic racing in the girls' under-18 coxed eight repechages.

Wanganui Collegiate School put in an outstanding performance, leading for the first 1500 metres before Rangi Ruru School for Girls' number one crew, the South Island Secondary Schools Champions, made their move. The South Islanders rowed through Wanganui Collegiate School with 100 metres to go, crossing the line less than a boat length ahead of the North Islanders.

St Paul's Collegiate made easy work of the second repechage to earn their place in the A final which will be raced on Saturday afternoon.

In the boys' under-18 coxed eight the winners of the two repechages would book the final two places up for grabs in the race for the Maadi Cup.

Sacred Heart College's number one crew, who narrowly missed out on a straight progression from the heats channelled their frustration into their repechage, powering across the line four boat lengths ahead of Wanganui Collegiate in second place.

Auckland Grammar also moved through to the final, fighting off a strong challenge from Shirley Boys' High School and narrowly taking the win.

Racing was tight in the quarter-final of the boys' under-16 single scull with and less than 0.2 seconds between winner Luke Shannon of King';s College and Luke Clinton of Bethlehem College in the first quarter-final and just 0.16 seconds separating Cambridge High School's Seth Hope and Jack McLaughlan from John McGlashan College who took first and second respectively in quarter-final two. The first four from each of the four quarter finals will contest the semi-finals, while the others will contest C or D finals.
St Peter's School and Dunstan High School went head to head in the quarter-final of the girl's under-15 coxed quad with a photo finish required to separate the two. The official times showed St Peter's taking the win in 7:45.42, and Dunstan High School second in 7:45.52. They will move through to the semi-final along with Westlake Girls' High School one and two, Baradene College, Villa Maria College, Dunstan High School two and Craighead Diocesan School.

Tomorrow's racing will see semi-finals start as well as some C and D finals. Racing can be viewed live via the webcast at www.maadi.co.nz
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Full results, start lists and schedule available at rowit.co.nz.

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