K. MacDonald, LoL PE, OE & Health

During the middle part of Term One we have a number of athletes representing the school at both Bay of Plenty and Waikato Bay of Plenty Athletics Championships. 

Firstly on the 3rd of March we had 23 boys travel to Tauranga to compete in the Bay of Plenty Secondary School Athletics Champs, and they represented our Kura exceptionally well throughout the day. There were several standout performances, with notable achievements from Manaia Christensen. In the

Senior Boys Shot Put, Manaia surpassed the existing record of 15.38m with three of his four throws, culminating in an impressive 15.72m—breaking the old record by 54cm! Manaia also went on to win the Senior Boys Discus with a throw of 50.01m, just 4m shy of the record.

Other strong performances came from Kingston Ryan, who dominated the Intermediate Boys 800m, leading from start to finish and clocking a time of 2:04 to win by a full second. In the relay events, our Junior Boys placed 3rd, the Intermediate Boys came in 2nd, and the Senior Boys also placed 3rd in the 4 x 100m relay. From the group 18 have qualified to represent the school at the upcoming Waikato-BOP Champs, which will be held in Hamilton at Porritt Stadium. 

With the Waikato Bay of Plenty Championships held on Tuesday, March 25th, we sent five of our Raukura to Porritt Stadium in Hamilton. The boys had an outstanding day, with four of the five securing spots for the North Island Secondary School Champs, which will take place on April 5th and 6th in Hamilton. To qualify for the North Island champs, placing in the top 3 earns automatic selection.  Mataatua Nikora had a stellar performance, finishing 1st in the Intermediate Boys’ Hammer Throw and 4th in the Discus. Kingston Ryan delivered an exceptional display, winning the 800m in a nail-biting finish in the Intermediate Boys’ race. He followed that up with a strong 2nd place in the 1500m, nearly running down 1st place in the process. Manaia Christiansen, despite battling a shoulder injury, proved he’s one of the best throwers on the secondary school circuit, claiming 1st place in both the Senior Boys’ Discus and Shot Put. Jamie Petersen impressed with a 2nd place finish in the Senior Boys’ Long Jump and also made it into the top 8 in both the 100m (8th place) and 200m (7th place), competing against some tough opposition.

North Island Athletics Championships were held on Saturday April 5th. Two Athletes represented the Waikato and Bay of Plenty team and performed exceptionally well with Kingston Ryan peaking at the right time placing first in both the Intermediate Boys 800m and 1500m and Manaia Christiansen continuing his great form winning both the Senior Boys Discus and Shot Put. 

The boys’ remarkable efforts not only earned them spots in the upcoming North Island champs but also showcased the strength and determination of our Raukura athletes. We’re incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to supporting them at the next level. Thank you Matua Iain Macdonald and Matua Ritchie Kingi who accompanied the athletes to both events.