The day was grey, but spirits were bright. It was athletics day. Hoards of students flooded the buses, excitement buzzed in the air. On arriving at Mount Smart Stadium the stands began to overflow with eager participants. The air was full of talk: “Who will run the fastest?”; “Who will jump the highest?”; “Who will throw the furthest?”; and “Will the teachers beat the students in the relay?” The teachers congregated and began to assemble at their stations; the students filtered down to meet them. With little hesitation, the numerous events began.
This year events ran slightly differently, due to the expansion of the school, with pupils signing up prior to the day. Pupils were given the opportunity to sign up for up to three different activities – with our ever helpful prefects taking full responsibility for the organisation of this task.
With pupil sign-up complete, students knew exactly which events they were to attend and the time for each event. All they had to do now was arrive with a can-do attitude and a determination to get the best time or distance they possibly could. Students this year showed a particular interest in the long-distance events with enormous participation in the 1500 and 800 metres. It was evident that most of them had taken the time to prepare, as they paced themselves well and completed the distance in very good times. The girls’ participation was outstanding, showing a particular increase in the sprinting events, Well done, girls!
This year the class with most points for participation and performance was 10CRL. They will celebrate with a pizza lunch next Wednesday, 3 April. Well done to those class members.
Perseverance and excellence were values on show all day. It was very encouraging to see students aiming to break school records. Congratulations to the following on their record-breaking efforts.
James Liu | 7YEO | · 100 metres; 13:94 sec
· High Jump: 1.40mt |
Noa Gill | 7MAS | · 800 metres: 3.01.75 min |
Jack Airtrip | 7YEO | · 800 metres: 2.57.00min |
Samuel Chung | 10CRL | · 800 metres: 2.39.01min |
Philip Pentchev | 8FUE | · 1500 metres: 5.00.21 |
2019 RECORDS
Another key value of our school is team-work, and this, too, was shown in excess. Although competition was fierce, pupils showed no end of encouragement and support for one another as individuals tried to deliver their very best performance. Athletics day can be a nerve-wracking day with students often taken out of their comfort zones. It was therefore, fantastic to witness such amazing togetherness and support on display.
2019 Athletics Individual Performance
Level | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD |
Year 7 | |||
Girls | Eva Foo 7MAS | Noa Gill 7MAS | Laura Watts 7STA |
Boys | James Liu 7YEO | Patrick Li 7STA | Bashar Labidi 7MAS |
YEAR 8 | |||
Girls | Liberty Wards 8BLT | Alice Gill 8HUM | Rhea Prasad 8HUM |
Boys | Philip Pentchev 8FUE | Aaditya Lal 8FUE | Mumukshu Patel 8 BTL |
YEAR 9 | |||
Girls | Rhiannon Bell 9ROB | Yvonne Wang 9ROB | Sasha Ernest 9ROB |
Boys | Harry Shi 9KIM | Yuquan Wang 9ADS | Brian Bu Fan 9ADS |
YEAR 10 | |||
Girls | Ella Nelson 10KNI | Hayley Ballards 10MEE | Emily Conway 10KNI |
Boys | Keir Mitchell 10ZYL | Samuel Chung 10CRL | Lyam Chung 10BQZ |
SENIORS | |||
Girls | Charlotte Rous STR | Serena Lau ARN | Maia Szecket MIS |
Boys | Rahul Kanji 11MIL | Bede Mitchell BRW | Ignacio Arroyo GEV |