Lawrence (17) won the 100m in 11.45sec and the 200m in 23.48sec at the 85th annual Otago-Southland secondary schools athletics championships.
Lawrence is rated highly at national level and was a member of the New Zealand team at last year's Oceania championships in Sydney.
He is coached by New Zealand's top sprint coach, Brent Ward, and demonstrated the value of this instruction by getting a jump on the field at the start in both races.
In the 100m, he led the field by 50cm at halfway and kept his composure when challenged by Kane Attrill (King's) in the last 40m. Attrill was timed at 11.58sec.
Lawrence led the field round the bend and into the straight in the 200m. Jack Allan (St Kevin's) challenged him over the last 60m and closed the gap when finishing runner-up in 23.90sec.
Megan McPhail (Waitaki Girls') won the senior girls sprint double after a close tussle with Sophie Napper (Columba).
McPhail led at halfway in the 100m but Napper came with a late rush and almost closed the gap. McPhail was timed at 12.51sec and Napper 12.52sec.
It was slightly easier in the 200m, which McPhail won in 25.61sec from Napper (26.28sec).
Kaikorai Valley College head boy Ben Jowsey impressed with the speed of his final 200m when winning the senior boys double in the 400m (51.77sec) and 800m (2min 01.30sec).
St Hilda's Collegiate head girl Rebekah Greene was in a class of her own when winning the senior girls 800m (2min 9.71sec) and 1500m (4min 31.07sec) double in record times.
She broke Katrina Finn's (Otago Girls') seven-year-old 800m record by three seconds and Brooke Eddy's (Southland Girls') 1997 1500m time by 17.96sec.
There were 11 records broken at the championships and this continued the improving standard that was demonstrated at the Otago secondary schools championships the previous weekend when 23 records were broken.
Sam Timmins (Otago Boys') increased the boys under-14 discus record by 4.59m.
The record had been held by Filipo Levi (Logan Park) since 1993. Brendon Timmins, Sam's father, and Levi both played rugby for Otago and the Highlanders and locked the scrum.
Laura Carruthers (Columba) slashed the open girls 2km steeplechase record by 2min 16sec with her time of 7min 43.18sec.
Two other runners broke the old record. Jessica Todd (Bayfield) ran 9min 2.63sec and Hannah Powers (Otago Girls') 9min 53.47sec.
Dean Rusbatch (Otago Boys') extended the open boys hammer throw record by 2.70m with his throw of 50.46m.
Josh Browne (John McGlashan) showed potential when he broke two records when winning the boys under-14 1500m (4min 33.36sec) and 3000m (10min 4.50sec).
The 1500m record was an old one and had been held by New Zealand representative Eddie Crowe (St Kevin's) since 1987. Browne lowered the time by 1.3sec.
Courtney Martin (East Otago) broke two girls under-14 records with her shot put of 11.26m and discus throw of 31.65m.
Kawana Tokona (East Otago) broke a six-year-old record in the boys under-14 triple jump with 10.93m.
Jade Graham (Gore) set a new mark for the girls under-16 triple jump with a leap of 10.89m. Rebecca Peterson (James Hargest) also beat Kylie Tinnock's (Verdon College) nine-year-old record with a throw of 10.77m.
