Mia Pearson (left) and Sophie Adams both broke long standing records at the Ashburton College athletics finals. Photo Jaime Pitt-MacKayA cloud of dust has stirred from the Ashburton College athletic records books as two long-standing records fell last Thursday.

Mia Pearson and Sophie Adams were the young athletes to re-write history, breaking the 28-year-old under 14 girls’ high jump and under 15 girls’ shot put records respectively.

Pearson narrowly snuck over the previous record, jumping 1.46m, one centimetre higher than Charlotte Sim’s record of 1.45m, which was set in 1989.

Adams secured her new record in a far more comfortable fashion, with her largest throw eclipsing the 10 metre mark at 10.61m.

The previous holder, Julia Fruean, threw 9.69m, a distance which Adams threw past three times.

Both have experience in the world of track and field.

Pearson has been training in athletics since she was five.

“High jump is one of the ones I train in regularly and is one of my favourites,” she said.

Despite breaking the record, it was not her personal best, having jumped 1.53m in the past.

“I’ve always done well in shot put since primary school,” said Adams.

She also did not trouble her personal best with her performance at the finals, having thrown 11.32m in the past.

The pair will now turn their attentions to the Aoraki Athletics in Timaru on Tuesday, with an eye on qualifying for the South Island competition, where finishing in the top five is a target for both.

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 11 March 2017

Taylah Burrowes lifting the trophy after her success at the Sugihara Cup in February. Photo supplied.For local martial artist Taylah Burrowes, a medal from the Sugihara Cup is just another string to her bow.

The 13-year-old competed at the Sugihara Cup in Auckland at the end of February, taking home the gold.

Mum, Karen Burrowes, said it was the first time Taylah had travelled to a competition without the support of her, or her sensei.

“The experience clearly didn’t faze her, and it will be great for her confidence going forward,” she said.

This was the first event of what is a busy year ahead for the brown belt.

She will travel to the New Zealand open in April, Nationals in Wellington and has made herself available for selection for the New Zealand team to travel to the Commonwealth Karate Championships in South Africa.

If Burrowes is selected for the Commonwealth Championships, it will not be her first foray to the event, having competed in India two years ago.

Having been doing karate for five years, and now training four times a week, including national training camps in Auckland, it is a huge commitment.

“Taylah was happy with the result in Auckland,” said Burrowes.

“It is great to see the hard work and training she has put in be rewarded.”

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 10 March 2017

Ashburton College student Uatifoti Saofai, winner of the Canterbury secondary schools’ Pasifika award for leadership and academic achievement. Photo Sue NewmanWhen top ranked Pasifika secondary school students from around Canterbury gathered at an annual award ceremony, there was one who stood out from the crowd, Ashburton College 17-year-old Uatifoti Saofai.

She had already been recognised as a high achiever on her own campus and on Tuesday night she was recognised as Canterbury’s top Pasifika student for both her academic achievements and her leadership skills.

No one was more surprised than Uatifoti when her name was called.

“There were 20 secondary schools there, all from Christchurch except me.

“They were all top achievers and when I was announced as joint top female student it came out of nowhere.

“To be honest, this was most unexpected,” she said.

The award was judged on examination results, academic achievements and school recommendation.

Uatifoti’s family moved to New Zealand from Samoa five years ago because her parents were determined their six children had the opportunity to receive the best possible education.

Moving to a new country and a new culture was quite a shock, however, she said.

“We came at Christmas time so we had a little bit of summer before the cold. We had been learning English at school but not every day language so that was quite difficult at the start.”

For the Saofai family, education is number one.

“Study is my recreation. My parents have instilled in me the importance of education. Other things are opportunity costs really,” she said.

“The focus has to be on school;  that’s the main reason we moved from Samoa.”

Her friends are all achievers, and that means they are friendly competitors who push each other to be the best they can.

Uatifoti enjoys maths, accounting and economics and hopes to study commerce at university.

Ashburton is now home, but she admits there is still a strong pull from the country of her birth.

“Samoa is still close to my heart. Every day I dream of going back but because New Zealand can provide such a good education, for me it has become my home. It is such a welcoming country,” she said..

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 9 March 2017