Rowers put the foot down today to ensure qualification out of semi-finals

Tight racing seems the order for the two Aon Maadi Cup finals days as rowers put the foot down today to ensure qualification out of semi-finals.

Two of the best performers were Riley Wills of Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate and Queen Charlotte College’s promising Charlotte Lightfoot.

Both won their semi-finals and will go into Saturday’s U18 finals as favourites.

That doesn’t guarantee anything, but today the pair of them cleared their throats in announcing their credentials for the Charlie Stapp Cup and Stephanie Foster Cup respectively.

Wills flew along the 2000m course to win his semi-final in 7min 33.24, with Xavier Simpkins from Auckland’s St Peters College second in 7:41.95.

Ashley-James Fitzgerald of Marlborough Boys College won the second semi in 7:39.03, just .47s faster than King’s College’s Jack Mitchell. They shape as the leading contenders.

Wills has other races on his plate, but his coach liked what he saw today.

‘’He didn’t race the Aon North Island Championships because of Covid but he’s feeling fine and seems fully recovered,’’ Martin Simoncelli said.

‘’The mindset is the main thing for him. He wants to go for more all the time. It’s an unbelievable mindset. He’s always asking, ‘what do I need to get better’.

‘’I always ask him to stick to the race plan. He’s an incredible athlete, an impressive person.’’

Wills, winner of the Laszlo single boat last season, courtesy of Laszlo Boats NZ and Aon NZ as U17 single sculling champion, is also through to the U18 double with crewmate Logan Spencer. But their winning time in the first semi-final of 7:13.75 was not enough to be fastest into the final.

That honour went to Timaru Boys’ High duo Will Talbot and Sam Wilson, who clocked 7:11.88 to take centre lane, albeit alongside St Paul’s.

Lightfoot left her rivals in her wake today, winning the first semi-final in 8:29.92, while Craighead Diocesan’s Elsie Talbot, who has had a busy regatta, won the second semi in 8:34.87, less than a second ahead of Laura McCabe from Auckland’s MacLeans College.

Lightfoot has also been receiving confidence-boosting text messages from former Queen Charlotte pupil, and 2012 Olympic double scull champion Joseph Sullivan.

He’s a proud old boy of a school for whom he won two U18 single scull titles and three double scull crowns.

‘’I think she found it a harder race that she’s had all the way through,’’ her coach Kaye Surgenor said today.

She suspects Lightfoot may have panicked a little during the race but hit the reset button, got herself back in command and had the boat moving well by the end.

‘’She’s had the fastest times all the way through but that doesn’t mean someone’s not going to do something exceptional in the final. We’re not taking anybody lightly,’’ Surgenor said.

Now consider the Wakatipu High School team, who have had a pleasing regatta.

They have 12 boys, four girls and two coxes at Lake Ruataniwha, but in Marley King-Smith and their girls quad they have eye-catching performers.

In the case of King-Smith, he’s been pretty active. He won his U17 single semi-final; was part of the boys U16 coxed quad who won their semi; is in the A final U17 boys double with Sam McAtamney; and won his semi-final of the U17 coxed quad. He’ll be a tired boy by the end of the weekend.

‘’He’s just great. He just loves rowing,’’ coach John Morrison said.

‘’Anything you ask he’ll do. You couldn’t get someone better to coach.’’

King-Smith is a year 12 student, so had a year of rowing left. He was in the South Island secondary schools team last year as a 15-year-old.

‘’That gave him quite a lot of confidence, which is great. He wants to take his rowing as far as he can. ‘’

The girls quad will start their U18 final on Saturday in the centre lane, having put out a 7:33.49 to be second fastest qualifier. Hamilton Girls’ High won the other semi in 7:30.71.

The same quartet won through to the U17 final, albeit pipped for fastest time by fractionally less than a second - their 7:25.44 being slightly behind St Andrew’s 7:24.49.

In the boys U16 coxed four, the prospects are strong for a cracking final.

St Bede’s won the second semi in 6:56.41; shortly after Christchurch Boys High had won the first in 6:56.99.

That was just after fog descended on the course holding rowing up for about an hour.

And finally, a pat on the back to Takapuna Grammar’s U18 girls double.

The first four in each semi-final advanced but Annabel Knowles and Skye Lang made no race of it, winning their semi in 7:41.53, 10s quicker than the other semi-final winners Mount Maunganui College, and 11s ahead of Dunstan High who were second behind them.

Finals start tomorrow at 8.53am.