Speedsters Megan McPhail and Andrew Whyte each took the chill out of the gloomy conditions with convincing victories in sprint events.
McPhail (17), a year 13 pupil at Waitaki Girls' High School, clinched the 100m-200m double.
After recording 25.69sec for a commanding victory in the open women's 200m, she then topped this with an equally impressive victory in the open women's 100m an hour later, recording 12.85sec.
"That's a very good start to the season," she said after her victory in the 100m.
"I am really surprised at my speed so early in the season."
McPhail does not have the luxury of training on an all-weather track, but instead uses the grass surface of Whitestone Contracting Stadium, in Oamaru.
Another with similar training obstacles is Whyte, who secured the treble in the open men's 100m, 200m and 400m.
The 18-year-old South Otago High School pupil appeared to have a good stride and leg speed working for him in all three races.
Like McPhail, the first race on the card for him was the 200m.
He bolted from the starting blocks and smoked the bend to clear away from the field in the straight, and record a personal-best time of 22.23sec.
His 100m victory, in a field full of experience, was equally as impressive.
The race appeared anyone's over the first 70m but, as the line fast approached, Whyte found another gear and surged away, recording 11.14sec.
Blair Grant (Taieri) was second in 11.41sec, and John Gilmour (Hill City) third in 11.43sec.
In his specialist 400m, Whyte again made a perfect start.
Only Invercargill's Glen Ballam could match his speed up the back straight and around the top turn.
For a moment it appeared as though Ballam would deny him victory at the top of the home straight but, as was the case in the 100m, with the finish in sight Whyte found another gear and pulled away over the final 50m to record 50.21sec, with Ballam second in 50.73sec and Chris Weddell (Ariki) third in 54.26sec.
The 1500m events were keenly contested and junior athletes Christina Taylor and Shauna Pali had a titanic battle, with Tayor managing an get on top only in the final 20m, to win in 4min 56.03sec from Pali in 4min 56.68sec.
Caitlin O'Brien was third in 5min 3.78sec.
The senior 1500m events showed up the top early-season form of Daniel Balchin (Caversham) and Rebekah Greene (Hill City).
Green cruised to win the open women's race in 4min 24.33sec and Balchin recorded a commanding performance and was unlucky not to have gone under 4min.
He troubled the time keeper at 4min 00.80sec to win the open men's event.
Three Otago age-group records were broken.
Bill Kenny (Leith) raised the bar in the 1500m for men's 75 to 6min 58.76sec, Mike Weddell (Taieri) reduced the men's 60 400m time to 65.48sec and Claire Giles (Caversham) extended the women's 55 long jump to 3.59m.
