Strong Showing for St Patrick’s College Rowing at Nationals

St Patrick’s College Wellington delivered an impressive performance at the recent National Rowing Championships (Maadi 2026), achieving strong results with a relatively small squad.

Competing against some of the largest schools in the country, the team showed depth, determination, and resilience, progressing to two A Finals and two B Finals across their events.

Aidan Rook had an impressive performance in the U17 Single Sculls, where he placed 6th in the A Final. This was a particularly strong finish in the most subscribed and highly competitive event of the Championships.

Aidan Rook and Conor Rook also competed in the U18 Double Sculls, finishing 5th in the A Final against a competitive field and contributing to the team’s overall success across the regatta.

The Novice Eight - Antoine Lorilleux, Luke Gardner, Tomi Marinkovich, Finn Olsen, Charlie Smith, Mason Garvie, Caiden Sloane, Kees Garvie, and cox Alex Abenoja, produced an exceptional race to win their B Final, finishing seven seconds clear of second place. The crew gave everything on the water, delivering a composed and powerful performance that reflected the hard work put in throughout the season. The result was made even more impressive by the make-up of the crew, which included students from Years 10 through to 13.

The Novice Four also placed in a B Final, earning a 5th place for the race. The Four crew was Antoine Lorilleux, Luke Gardner, Tomi Marinkovich, Finn Olsen, and cox Alex Abenoja.

These results are a testament to the commitment of a small but dedicated squad, who consistently performed at a high level across the regatta.

Squad Members

Intermediate Rowers
Conor Rook
Aidan Rook
Charlie O'Rourke
Alex Abenoja
Xander Breslin

Novice Rowers
Finn Olsen
Antoine Lorilleux
Luke Gardner
Tomi Marinkovich
Charlie Smith
Mason Garvie
Caiden Sloane
Kees Garvie

The College is proud of the efforts of all rowers, whose performances reflect both individual commitment and strong crew culture.