With a slight breeze picking up as the first race of the day came down the track, Whanganui High School claimed the first gold medal of the regatta, winning the Girls Under 16 Coxed Quad Sculls. After securing bronze at the North Island Secondary School Championships, the crew was determined to step up.
“We just went in with that send-it mentality, the adrenaline took over, and we went crazy,” one crew member shared. “It’s been a tough few weeks of speed work leading up to Maadi. We were off the pace at the start but made our move at the 500m mark, pushing through in the last 750m to walk through the other crews. We knew our strengths and played to them really well.”
St Paul’s Collegiate secured silver, while South Island champions Ashburton College took bronze.
The Boys Under 16 Double Sculls saw history made, with Francis Douglas Memorial High School’s Noah Prendergast and Oliver Kohlhase winning the school’s first-ever Maadi medal.
“The conditions were rough, but we focused on getting ahead early and keeping it clean,” Noah reflected. “We brought it through at the 1k mark and just kept it clean to the end.”
Whanganui High School picked up silver, while Napier Boys’ High School claimed their first regatta medal with bronze. With their fourth medal of the regatta, Whanganui High School was building an impressive tally as the day progressed.
The windy conditions continued as the Girls U18 Single Sculls got underway. Waikato Dio’s Angalla Carney, coached by Alice Denyer, showcased her dominant form, winning gold in 8:07.20—an astonishing 11 seconds ahead of Charlotte Peterson (Marian College), with Auckland Dio’s Sybilla Thompson taking bronze.
“It was an exciting race in fast conditions,” Angalla said. “The start was good, and my goal was to get ahead and stay there. Auckland Dio pushed me early, but I settled into my rhythm at the 500m mark.”
In the Boys U18 Single Sculls it was an all North Island line up with Nathan Strachan from Macleans College picking up the gold medal in this event for consecutive years for his school, winning in a time of 7:14.44.
“I led until about the 1k, then my toughest competition pulled level with me. We were side by side until 1500m, and I just had a little more left in the tank,” Nathan recounted. “This medal means a lot; it’s the first step toward bigger things.”
Whanganui High School’s Jake Newton claimed silver, with Otumoetai College’s Arthur Crimmins taking bronze.
Dunstan High School secured the South Island’s first gold of the day in the Girls Under 15 Double Sculls, with Bella Breen and Charlotte Crosbie navigating the blustery conditions to win their second gold of the regatta. Glendowie took silver, and Craighead Dio claimed bronze.
Whanganui Collegiate School celebrated their first Maadi medal of the regatta, winning gold in the Boys Under 15 Coxed Quad Sculls. With four boats battling for medals in the final 250m, Wakatipu High School held onto silver, while Hamilton Boys High School edged out St Paul’s Collegiate for bronze.
Timaru Boys High School secured their first gold of the regatta in the Boys Novice Under 18 Coxed Four. Third-year cox Ned Brown shared his experience:
“I was nervous, but we’ve trained a lot in choppy conditions. We focused on a strong start, built a lead in the middle 1k, and in the last 100m, I just told the boys to rip it and go as hard as they could.”
King’s College took silver, and Waitaki Boys claimed bronze.
Rangi Ruru Girls won gold in the Girls Under 16 Coxed Four. Cox Phoebe White emphasised the emotional significance of the victory:
“We asked the girls to believe and think about all the support our parents have given us to get here. They’d be proud no matter what, but winning today made it even better.”
St Bede’s College picked up their second gold in the Boys Under 16 Eight, outpacing King’s College (silver) and Christ’s College (bronze). St Kentigern College pushed hard but missed out on the podium.
It was Marlborough double gold in the Under 17 Pair events. Marlborough Girls High School’s Eliza Glover and Anna Hurren surged at the line to take gold ahead of Westlake Girls, with Whanganui Collegiate earning bronze. Moments later, Marlborough Boys High School’s Aidan Bennett and Logan Flight matched their efforts, winning gold ahead of Glendowie College and Hamilton Boys (bronze).
The Boys Under 17 Coxed Quad Sculls was dominated by St Paul’s Collegiate, with coxswain Hugh Trower highlighting their strong start:
“We got clean out of the blocks, and no one came with us. We just focused on keeping it tidy.”
Crew member George Benjamin, already boasting a silver and gold from the previous day, reflected:
“This feels amazing. The bond we have is unreal. This was one of my favourite races; I was rowing with my brothers.”
St Peter’s School celebrated a 1-2 finish in the Boys Novice Under 18 Coxed Quad, with coxswains Jade Noonan and Sophie Sinclair leading both crews to gold and silver.
“It was so fun racing next to each other,” they said. “We’re so proud of each other. We told the boys to bring it home for Joe, our gap-year coach.”
Timaru Boys rower George Talbot won the last small boat race, clinching gold in the Boys Under 16 Single Sculls by just 0.87 seconds over Karlon Johnson (Napier Boys High School).
“I had a bad start but made up for it in the first 250m,” George said. “I knew the last 250m would be tough, but I dug deep because it was the last race of the season.”
Excitement reached a fever pitch with the Girls and Boys Under 18 Coxed Eight finals. St Margaret’s College claimed the Levin 75th Jubilee Cup for the eighth time, executing a dominant wire-to-wire victory.
“We changed the entire seating order after a bad heat, and it just worked,” said cox Bella Harris. “I told the girls we needed to make this our legacy. We hadn’t won in seven years, so we had to do it for everyone who came before us.”
Waikato Dio took silver in 7:09.16, with Rangi Ruru Girls School earning bronze (7:09.70).
The boys’ Maadi Cup final was electric, with Westlake Boys High School seeking the elusive boys under 18 sweep trifecta. After a false start, the race restarted, and Westlake surged to an early lead. St Bede’s briefly took control, but Westlake responded at the 1250m mark, surging ahead to win in 6:07.48. St Bede’s finished second (6:10.23), with Christ’s College taking bronze (6:14.22).
Westlake Boys High School Coach Andy Hay was elated:
“I’m stunned. These boys have put in unbelievable work. I’ve never met a more focused group. They truly deserve this.”
King’s College made history today by winning the Star Trophy for the first time, earning the title of overall champion school through consistently strong performances in the boys’ sweep oar events. Their dominance also secured them the Executive Trophy for the top sweep school. Meanwhile, Wakatipu High School continued their reign in sculling, claiming the Presidents Scull for the fourth consecutive year as the overall champion sculling school.
And so, the 2025 Maadi Regatta comes to a close, leaving behind more than just a tally of medals. For every athlete, coach, and supporter, it has been a journey of relentless determination, unforgettable camaraderie, and moments that will be cherished for a lifetime—etched not only in record books but in the hearts of those who gave it their all on the water.
Other medalists
Congratulations also goes to all other medalists today and trophy winners today:
Star Trophy (for overall champion school): Kings College
Executive Trophy (for champion sweep oar school): Kings College
Presidents Scull (for champion sculling school): Wakatipu High School
GU16 4x+: 1st – Whanganui High School 2nd – St Pauls Collegiate 3rd – Ashburton College
BU16 2x: 1st – Francis Douglas Memorial High School 2nd – Whanganui High School 3rd – Napier Boys High School
GU18 1X: 1st – Waikato Dio 2nd – Marian College 3rd – Auckland Dio
BU18 1X: 1st – Macleans College 2nd – Whanganui High School 3rd – Otumoetai College
GU15 2X: 1st – Dunstan High School 2nd – Glendowie College 3rd – Craighead Dio.
BU15 4X+: 1st – Whanganui Collegiate 2nd – Wakatipu High School 3rd – Hamilton Boys High School
GU17 8+: 1st – Rangi Ruru Girls School 2nd – Epsom Girls Grammar 3rd – St Andrew’s College
BU17 4+: 1st – Kings College 2nd – Hamilton Boys High School 3rd – St Andrew’s College
GNU18 4X+: 1st – Villa Maria College 2nd – Hamilton Girls High School 3rd – Whanganui High School
BNU18 4+: 1st – Timaru Boys High School 2nd – Kings College 3rd – Waitaki Boys High School
GU16 8+: 1st – Rangi Ruru Girls School 2nd – Epson Girls Grammar 3rd – St Margaret’s College
BU16 8+: 1st – St Bedes College 2nd – Kings College 3rd – Christs College
GU17 2-: 1st – Marlborough Girls College 2nd – Westlake Girls High School 3rd – Whanganui Collegiate
BU17 2-: 1st – Marlborough Boys College 2nd – Glendowie College 3rd –
GU18 4X+: 1st – Cashmere High School 2nd – Craighead Dio 3rd – St Peter’s School
BU18 2X: 1st – Wakatipu High School 2nd – Whanganui High School 3rd – Whakatane High School
GU15 8+: 1st – Auckland Dio 2nd – Rangi Ruru Girls School 3rd – Christchurch Girls High School
BU15 4+: 1st – Kings College 2nd – St Andrew’s College 3rd – Christchurch Boys High School
GU17 2x: 1st – Dunstan High School 2nd – St Pauls Collegiate 3rd – Wakatipu High School
BU17 4x+: 1st – St Paul’s Collegiate 2nd – Wellington College 3rd – Whanganui High School
GNU18 4+: 1st – St Margaret’s College 2nd – Christchurch Girls High School 3rd – Rangi Ruru Girls School
BNU18 4x+: 1st – St Peters School 2nd – St Peter’s School 3rd – Timaru Boys High School
GU16 2x: 1st – Huanui College 2nd – Cambridge High School 3rd – Whanganui High School
BU16 1x: 1st – Timaru Boys High School 2nd – Napier Boys High School 3rd – New Plymouth Boys High School
GU18 8+: 1st – St Magaret’s College 2nd – Waikato Dio 3rd – Rangi Ruru Girls School
BU18 8+: 1st – Westlake Boys 2nd – St Bedes College 3rd – Christs College
