New records set on Athletics Day

02 Mar 2021

It was all about speed and distance, flying javelins and flying bodies, as College athletes ran, leapt and threw their way to glory on Upper on 26 February at the annual College Athletics Day.

One of College’s largest events, and one of the biggest school athletics days held in New Zealand, the event brought out the best in the boys, and four new records were set, plus Harper House achieving record House championship points.

Healthy House rivalry is always a feature of the day, but Harper House made absolutely sure of its supremacy, taking overall House winner with 872 points, and being named Field Events House Champion, and House Relay Champion. Richards House was named Non-Championship House Winner, Somes House won the senior 4x100m, and Condell’s House won the senior 4x400m.

Charlie Cameron of Harper House set a new Pole Vault senior record of 4.20m, a spectacular result, while Armani Lemalu, who blitzed the field events last year as a Year 9, continued on his winning way this time, setting a new junior Discus record with a throw of 49.71m, and a new junior Shot Put record of 13.50m.

MiC Athletics Graeme Christey says Athletics Day’s success is reliant on the efforts of countless volunteers – boys and staff and particularly the Director of Sport, Rob Clarke, and his team – who willingly help with setting up, running heats and finals over lunch hours leading up to the event, and who play a vital part on the day.

He says this year spells the last in its current format on Upper, for a couple of years at least, while the new Upper West build is completed.