Rowers tracking well for pinnacle event

Two of Southland’s best young rowers are tracking nicely heading towards the pinnacle event of their season. 

Academy Southland members Shakira Mirfin and Sarah Stewart, both Invercargill and Southland Girls’ High School rowers, performed strongly at the recent New Zealand rowing championships on Lake Karapiro. 

Shakira, a member of the world championship-winning New Zealand women’s junior quad in Tokyo and a national title winner in the under 17 girls single at last year’s Maadi Cup, produced a dominant display in the senior single. 

Coach Jack Allan said Shakira had rowed well to lead a field which included former New Zealand under 21 representatives and a very good visiting rower from the New York Athletic Club. 

“It was a tough race because of head winds and times were really slow, but that suits Shakira because she is so strong. Her rowing length is good and she’s rowing well so that’s really exciting,” Allan said. 

Shakira and Sarah combined in the senior double to finish fourth, a result Allan was also pleased with. 

“Going up to senior level is a big step up at 17-years-old. There are a lot of women who have been around senior for 10 years and they are physically and mentally strong and mature and they are into it,” he said. 

“The girls were happy with their fourth, they rowed really well. None of the crews that beat us in the senior double are going to Maadi Cup.” 

Stewart also combined with Eilish McLeod in the club double to finish second, a result which was a bit of a surprise for all concerned. 

“I was really stoked for them, really happy, it was awesome,” Allan said. 

The focus is now on school rowing, with the South Island championships in a weeks’ time and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Regatta – better known as the Maadi Cup - on Twizel’s Lake Ruataniwha from March 30 to April 4.