Records went flying for the second consecutive week of inter-secondary school track and field competition at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
This time it was the Otago Southland Secondary Schools Championships in which 19 records changed hands amid a very high standard of competition.
Stars from last weekend's Otago Secondary Schools Championships, Nathan Hill and Ellie Duncan, carried on their record-breaking and winning ways.
Hill (Otago Boys' High School), proved yet again he has a big future in middle distance running when he beat the 1500m meeting record for under-16 boys of 4min 8.30sec set by Blair Martin (King's High School) in 1991, clocking 4min 7.86sec.
Martin went on to win numerous Otago and national middle-distance titles and represent New Zealand at world cross-country, and when contacted after the race and told that his 25-year-old record, had fallen, Martin was thrilled.
"It's a shame it's gone from King's to Otago Boys' High School,'' Martin joked of the old rivalry between the two schools.
"But the future bodes well. And I wish him all the best,'' he added at the thought that times were coming down.
Hill plans to mix his love of football with that of running cross-country over the winter.
For Ellie Duncan (Columba College), it seems everything she runs turns to gold.
After two record-breaking runs in the girls under-16 grade where she clocked a record time in the 300m hurdles of 46.07sec and smashed the 10-year-old 400m record clocking 58.92sec, she then carried on her winning ways in the 100m clocking 13.28sec, 200m (24.63sec) and anchored the Columba College open 4x400m relay team to victory in 4min 19.82sec.
Duncan also anchored the Columba College senior girl's 4x100m relay, which finished second in a photo-finish with St Hilda's Collegiate.
Duncan said after her 400m that her race went to plan.
"I just had to relax and do my best. I knew the record was within my reach and thought I'd give it a shot.''
The 300m hurdle record, on the other hand, came as a complete surprise, as it was just her third race in the discipline.
In a brilliant performance, Flynn Murdoch (King's High School) won the 80m hurdles for boys under-14 and lowered the record to 11.89sec.
Murdoch (13), displayed great maturity in an event that he has only being doing for the past month.
Last weekend he clocked 12.20sec to break the Otago Secondary Schools record and his time on Saturday eclipsed the old mark by more than half a second.
His coach, Meagan Gibbons, has been impressed with Murdoch's progress, given it is just his first season of competition.
He also won his grade in the 100m in 12.61sec and came second in long jump with 5.11m.
But the performance of the day came in the open girls 2000m steeplechase, where Sarah Boniface (James Hargest College) overcame a tumble at a hurdle on the second lap.
Boniface, already with her left knee strapped, fell awkwardly, wincing with the pain in her left arm after using it to break her fall.
She got back on her feet but it seemed to take her some time to get back into running mode.
Her first thoughts surely turned to retiring from the race, but the gutsy 15-year-old toiled on.
The crowd, admiring her bravery, erupted with cheers and applause with every remaining lap, the final 100m bringing scenes seldom witnessed in any athletic arena, as those in the packed grandstand rose to their feet to applaud her performance.
She was then engulfed at the finish line by school supporters and team mates, all justifiably proud of her victory.
It was just the second time Boniface had contested a steeplechase event.
Otago-Southland schools championships records
Records set at at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday. -
Ellie Duncan (Columba College): Girls under-16 400m 58.92sec; girls under-16 300m hurdles 46.07sec.
Nathan Hill (Otago Boys High School): Boys under-16 1500m 4min 7.86sec.
Flynn Murdoch (Kings High School): Boys under-14 80m hurdles 11.89sec.
Michelle Lindsay (James Hargest College): Senior girls pole vault 2.65m.
Jessica Senior (Southland Girls High School): Girls under-15 Javelin 38.39m.
Uilealea Lavea (Southland Boys High School): Boys under-14 shot put 12.97m.
Anna Skerrett (Southland Girls High School): Girls under-14 shot put 11.54m.
Emma Ryan (James Hargest College): Senior girls shot put 12.86m.
Zharna Beattie (Taieri College): Girls under-14 discus 34.82m.
Hamish Mears (Taieri College): Boys under-15 discus 44.96m.
Ryan Schmack (Mount Aspiring College): Boys under-14 triple jump 11.39m.
Max Brown (Otago Boys High School): Boys under-15 triple jump 12.14m.
William Swan (James Hargest College): Senior boys triple jump 13.74m.
Emma McColl (Southland Girls High School): Girls under-16 triple jump 11.02m.
Ella McCall (Gore High School): Girls under-15 1500m 4min 52.54sec.
Kings High School Boys under-14 4x100 relay: 48.22sec.
Southland Girls High School Girls under-15 4x100 relay: 51.87sec.
Kings High School Open Boys 4x400m relay: 3min 29.38sec.
