Athletics: Students prove faster, higher, stronger

Six records fell at the East Coast North Island Track and Field Championship yesterday in Hastings, with 620 junior athletes competing from schools across Hawke's Bay-Gisborne.

Secondary School's Athletics Association chairman Steve Armon said six age groups, 13 disciplines and more than 100 events were held at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park.

He said several parents, family and friends witnessed a record-breaking day, some broken by the slimmest of margins, on the all-weather track and in the field.

Napier Girls' High School middle-distance runner Holly Manning only just broke the senior girls 1500m record by 1.4sec. The record had been held since 1988 before Holly recorded her time of 4min 50.37sec yesterday. Holly may be earmarked for higher honours after a podium finish at the New Zealand Secondary School Championship.

Iona College athlete Flo De Bievre broke the intermediate girls 80m hurdles record with a time of 12.48sec. The record had been held since 1996.

Gisborne Girls High School long distance runner Olivia Corrin broke the junior girls 3000m record, held since 1999, by 15sec with a time of 10min 35.13sec.

Napier Boys' High long-distance runner Christian Leopard also broke the 3000m record with a time of 8min 45.13sec, this time in the senior boys' category, topping the previous best set six years ago.

Napier Boys' High high jumper Nathan Giles broke a record set only last year in the junior boys high jump with a 1.67m effort.

Last but certainly not least Napier Girls' High School long jumper Brianna Stephenson is believed to have broken the intermediate girls' long jump record by just 1cm with a 5.14m jump. The previous record had stood since 1995.