Golden Summer for College Athletics
The grass athletic track on Upper has long been replaced by the rugby field, but the Christ’s College Athletic Club can look back on a very successful term at the beginning of the year.
come in after school and weekends to make it happen. This year, for example, as I was uncertain about how to set up the pole vault, I was able to delegate it to the pole vaulters.’’ During the months of February and early March, many Canterbury high schools run athletic events to select a team to represent their school at the Canterbury Secondary Schools’ championships. This year, College had 36 athletes qualify for 36 events after a day of preliminary heats. At the end of competition, College athletes had achieved 16 Canterbury titles, including two new records, 13 seconds and six thirds. The new records were created by Sam King and Isaiah Punivai. Individual titles went to Jayden Beckett, Callum Long, Nic Murray, Hamish Rowley, Sam King, Patrick Thacker, Dion Houston, Cody House, Isaiah Punivai, Matt Durant and two 4x100m relay titles. College athletes were then nominated to compete in the South Island Secondary Schools’ championships in Timaru. “Although they were listed as representing Christ’s College, all were selected to represent the Canterbury schools’ region at this championship,” says Graeme Christey.’’ Once again, the College team finished the event with some strong results - eight South Island titles, eight seconds, seven thirds and 13 other results which saw College athletes
The club consists of approximately 50 athletes who have produced some outstanding results in both inter- school and inter-club in regional, South Island and national events. The new sporting year begins, as it has done for many years, with the running of the College Athletic Sports. These two days of athletic competition are still a major event in the busy College calendar and allow College athletes to be involved in an intra-school competition. The school event also allows boys involved in other summer sports to show their athletic ability and many go on to succeed in regional competitions. The event runs for three weeks with qualifying and heats taking place in lunch times and after school, and culminates in the day and a half of finals. The level of competition and focus over that time prepares College athletes for the future external meets
through the term. In this year’s championship, the outstanding
athlete was Cody House who won the Junior Individual Championship and, in the process, broke four school records. As well as having the opportunity to show their athletic abilities to the College community, the College athletic sports give boys the opportunity to be involved in running the event. Graeme Christey (MiC Athletics), says “Many schools hold championships, but they do so at venues such as QEII or other stadiums. We run everything at College and the whole school becomes involved. Our leadership team, which consists of athletic students, undertakes all the track markings, boys help set up for the championships and are happy to
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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