A run of success at the Waikato BOP champs

Records were broken and a number of top placings achieved, when our athletes headed to Tauranga on Saturday to compete in the Waikato Bay of Plenty athletics championships.

St Paul’s had two athletes compete in the hammer throw for the first time. Caroline Kolver threw 33.24m to finish third in the open girls, and Campbell Robb threw 26.72m to finish third in the open boys’ competition. These were new school records for both Caroline and Campbell.

Toby Robb also broke another school record in the junior boys’ javelin, throwing 39.85m and finishing in first place.

Sitiveni Lose (pictured) broke a meeting record in the junior boys’ high jump. He jumped 1.75m, beating the previous record by 1cm.

Other first place results on the day were:

• Matthew Spence: Senior boys’ long jump
• Caroline Kolver: Intermediate girls’ shot put and intermediate girls’ discus
• Samuel McClay: Senior boys’ 110m hurdles
• Sitiveni Lose: Junior boys’ high jump
• Lane Tims: Senior boys’ high jump
• Matthew Spence, Matthew Bond, Clay Richardson and Samuel McClay: Senior boys’ 400m relay

Other podium finishes were:

• Libby Clayton: Second in senior girls’ discus
• Samuel McClay: Second in 300m hurdles (open)
• Ben Strang: Third in 300m hurdles (open)
• Henry Mclean-Bluck: Third in junior 80m hurdles
• Brooke Batters: Second in intermediate girls’ high jump and second in 80m hurdles
• Clay Richardson: Second in senior boys’ 400m
• Angus Orsler: Third in senior boys’ 3000m and second in senior boys’ 2000m steeplechase
• Matthew Winefield: Third in senior boys' javelin

Amelia Hunt and Angus Orsler competed in their first 2000m steeplechase. Amelia came fourth in the intermediate girls and Angus was second in the senior boys.

Our sprinters ran well, with Travis Cashmore recording a personal best in the intermediate 100m heats. He also came eight in the intermediate 200m final.

Matthew Bond qualified eight for the senior boys’ 100m final and ran a very good race to finish fifth overall. He recorded the same placing in the senior boys’ 200m final.

We had a large number of distance runners competing in both the 300m and the 1500m, showing the depth of our middle-distance running here at St Paul’s. All of the competitors finished in the top 10 of their respective age groups.