After inclement weather cancelled the afternoon events of Athletics Day on February 24th, it was great to get out in the sunshine on the afternoon of Wednesday, 15th March to wrap up the remaining age-group field events and track finals, as well as ignite some healthy spirit and light-hearted competition among the school houses.

The afternoon started with a hotly contested 800m track event, followed by the age-group 100m finals which saw some very close races and finishes, and provided great entertainment for those students watching and supporting from the side lines. Next up was the house relay that got people on their feet and showing their house pride and spirit, with Tāne Mahuta taking the win, followed closely by Raumoko and Tāma-nui-te-rā. The staff vs students’ race provided a huge amount of entertainment, with staff employing some of their usual sneaky tactics to take an early lead, and managed to maintain it despite some of the students best efforts!

From the results of our Athletics, we had 28 students qualify to represent the school at the Central, East & West Zones Athletics Championships that were held at Trust Stadium on Tuesday, 21st March. We had at least one student in every event, who all participated to the best of their abilities, and were a great representation for Rutherford. Standouts for the day were Aria Costin, who finished first in her heat for the Junior Girls 100m sprints, and 12th overall, and Jamie Thomas who was 4th overall in the Junior Boys 200m sprints. Our junior girls and intermediate boys relay teams held their own against some fierce competition, with the girls finishing 3rd, and the boys finishing 6th. Congratulations to all students who attended.

A huge thanks to Nathan Matai’a and Blair White who provided transport and attended the championships with students.