The 15-year-old Wanaka runner broke her personal best time yet again and returned home with another medal around her neck.
The Mount Aspiring College runner won gold in the junior girls 400m in 56.16sec at the New Zealand secondary schools track and field championships in Timaru at the weekend.
Laker was comfortably in front on the second-last bend and extended her lead down the home straight to be well clear of runner-up Zita Meo, of Napier Girls’, who finished second in 57.05sec.
It snapped Laker’s previous personal best of 56.40sec, an Otago 15, 16 and 17 years age-group record, she set at the Caledonian last month.
She was one of a huge crew from Otago and Southland who had strong performances.
Southland Boys’ long-distance runner James McLeay won the senior boys 1500m in 4min 5.50sec, and was second in the senior boys 3000m in a personal-best 8min 32.09sec. Wakatipu runner James Weber ran a personal-best 8min 37.71sec to win bronze in the 3000m.
Verdon College athlete Abby O’Boyle was superb in the junior girls 800m, claiming gold with a personal best of 2min 12.31sec, and was third in the junior girls 1500m with another personal best of 4min 41.24sec.
Ollie Davis (Central Southland College) showed his versatility.
He was the senior boys long jump champion with his jump of 6.97m and came third with a personal best of 22.46sec in the senior boys 200m.
St Hilda’s thrower Charlee Farquhar produced a personal-best throw to win silver in the junior girls shot put with 12.41m and won bronze in the junior girl’s discus with 34.05m.
Queen’s High School athlete Martha Lipross was busy winning bronze in the junior girls pole vault with her jump of 2.35m and then teamed with Sylvia Haig, Bella Poulter and Seddah McGregor to secure bronze in the junior girls 4x100m relay in 53.17sec.
Thrower Alexa Duff (Columba College) won silver in the senior girls javelin with a personal-best 45.20m, Jade Wilson (Otago Girls’) grabbed silver in the senior girls 110m hurdles with personal-best 15.29sec, and Jorja Gibbons (Queen’s) won silver in the senior girls 100m in 12.14sec.
Ashton Robertson (Otago Boys’) won bronze in the junior boys high jump with a personal best leap of 1.80m and Will Brown (James Hargest) took silver in the junior boys long jump with his jump of 6.26m.
Southland Boys’ thrower Hector O’Rourke won bronze in the senior boys discus with 48.33m.
Connor Gilliland (Central Southland) won silver in the senior boys 110m hurdles with a personal best of 14.71m and Max McGregor (Maruawai College) secured silver in the junior boys 800m in a personal-best 1min 56.41sec.
Millie McFadzien (St Peter’s College) picked up double bronze — in the senior girls 2000m with a personal best of 7min 16.93sec and in the 4000m road race in 13min 49.20sec.
