PHOTO;BEN CURRAN,WAIKATO DAILY TIMES

Claudia wins the Women’s Great Race

Rotorua’s own Claudia Hyde, competed in the University of Waikato women’s eight crew; winning the coveted Bryan Gould Cup (named after the politician and previous Vice Chancellor of the University of Waikato from 1994 –2004)at the Gallagher Great Race on the Waikato River ..The women’s crew have only lost once in the last eleven years.

Hyde has an impressive rowing history and a big future ahead of her. She was part of the Gold winning U21 eight crew and the Bronze winning Women’s U21 coxed four at the 2012 New Zealand Rowing Champs.

Hyde’s crew ; Alyce Pulford (captain), Georgia Perry, Kayla Pratt, Zoe Stevenson, Linda Matthews, Briar Murphy, Ashleigh Hodge, Caleb Shepherd (coxswain),included a number of New Zealand representatives, for the battle with crews from Queensland University and Sydney University. The women's eight, under the guidance of new coach Andrew McCowan, included rowers who have won medals at world under-23 championships. Women’s eight Captain Alyce Pulford, was a bronze medallist in the New Zealand under-23 women's lightweight double sculls in Amsterdam last year. Kayla Pratt won gold in the women's pair at the 2012 U23 world champs in Lithuania. Linda Matthews won bronze with the women's quad sculls at the same regatta and  Zoe Stevenson was  reserve for the New Zealand 2012 London Olympic Rowing team.

The Harry Mahon Memorial Trophy was taken by University of Sydney in a strategically superior performance over the University of Waikato men’s eight : Richard Harrison (captain), Tobias Wehr-Candler, Duncan Grant, Hayden Cohen, Shaun Kirkham, Adam Tripp, Mackenzie Mackie, Will Meats, Ivan Pavich (coxswain).