After three years of cancellations and disruption, the 2023 St Paul’s Athletics Championship was back to normal with full school attendance. Due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup use of Porritt Stadium, the grandstand was off limits, so the entire school body positioned themselves along the shaded grass banks. This set-up created an incredible atmosphere with the crowd bordering the track cheering on house members. The encouragement impacted the athletes with several outstanding performances on the day.
Despite a short rain delay, the relays proved to be the day’s highlight with each house cheering on teams with great enthusiasm.
High Jump record broken at Athletics Championship Day
Reilly Benefield (Year 13) broke a 49-year-old high jump record. You can watch his breaking jump of 1.91m in a video here. The previous record of 1.90m was set in 1974 by Richard Tracy and equalled in 2003 by Byron Smith.
Results:
Junior boys
St Paul’s Collegiate Cup – Junior individual field event: Keanu Nathan
Gregg Cup – Junior athletic champion: Keanu Nathan
Intermediate boys
Hewitt Cup – Intermediate field event: Campbell Boyd and Carl Knox
Tauranga Cup – Intermediate athletic champion: Max Gurnick
Senior girls
Sheriff Cup – Girls field event: Caitlin Foote
Pieneman Cup – Girls athletic champion: Renee Carey
Senior boys
Thorrold Cup – Senior field event: Hamish Boyd
Yarndley Cup – Senior athletic champion: Hamish Boyd
Overall champions
Henley-Smith Cup – 4 x 100m relay house competition – School House
Defyd Williams Cup – Overall relay champions – School House
The Meiklejohn Cup – Overall house champions – School House
House results
- First place: School House
- Second place: Clark House
- Third place: Fitchett House
- Fourth place: Hall House
- Fifth place: Hamilton House
- Sixth place: Williams House
- Seventh place: Sargood House
