Aranui excels

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 12

Aranui excels

The fine win by Aranui High School in the boys’ open 4 x 400 m relay in the Christchurch inter-sec-ondary school athletic sports at Queen Elizabeth II Park was the first in this event since the school was established in 1960. However, even more impressive was that all four members of the team — Paul Pickard, Clay Penrose, Richard Watt, and Pomare Connell — were intermediate runners. Penrose won both the intermediate 400 and 800 m

titles. In the 800 m he was originally credited with a time of 2min 9.75. This was later amended to a much more impressive Imin 58.75. Connell won the intermediate 200 tn in 23.15. Watt was third in the intermediate high jump but his moment of real glory came in the senior 400 m hurdles. He won this in a tight finish from the favourite, Khalid Mohammed (Christ’s College). The man behind the emergence of Aranui as a

major power in schools’ athletics is the former Canterbury sprint champion, Andrew Tweedie, now a master at the school. Tweedie, who is a former winner of the Canterbury 100, 200, and 400 m titles, coached all the Aranui boys who did well in the inter-secondary sports. Aranui’s success was not confined to the boys, however. Bronwyn Wyber won the girls’ 800 m with a fine run in 2min 17.95.