During the summer holiday break, Onehunga High School Year 13 prefects Lisa Hellyer and Sarah Hellyer delivered outstanding performances at the annual Tauranga Twilight Meet held in early January.

Competing in the women’s 1000m, both athletes produced exceptional runs in challenging wet conditions. Lisa recorded a time of 2:45.19, officially breaking the New Zealand women’s Under 19 record and surpassing the previous mark that had stood since 2010. Sarah followed closely with a time of 2:45.83, also faster than the former national record.

The race itself highlighted the quality and character of both athletes. With no pacemaker and rain falling, they shared the lead throughout and committed fully to the race. Former New Zealand champion runner Ben Ruthe praised the performance, noting the determination shown as they took responsibility for the race and pushed each other to exceptional times.

The Onehunga High School community is extremely proud of Lisa and Sarah and congratulates them on these remarkable achievements. We wish them every success as they continue their athletics journey in 2026.