Hill City-University hurdler Madaline Spence broke an almost 24-year-old record at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
Spence (17) broke Megan Gibbons' (nee Merrilees) women's 17 years 300m hurdle record by 0.44sec, winning in 43.85sec.
Gibbons, who coaches New Zealand's top-ranked secondary school 100m hurdler, Christina Ashton (17), of the Taieri club, set the old 44.29sec record on February 17, 1991.
Spence, who is coached by Brent Ward, was quick off the mark and dominated the race on her way to the record, finishing almost 7sec ahead of second-placed Aria Park (16, Taieri).
Earlier, she pushed highly fancied Ashton all the way in a thrilling women's 15-17 years 100m hurdle race.
With a 3.8m per second tailwind, Ashton managed to fend off Spence's challenge and get home first in 14.36sec, 0.47 ahead of the Hill City-University athlete.
However, Spence did take another victory before the day was out, winning the women's 15-17 years 200m sprint in 26.15sec.
In windy conditions, she pipped second placed Lily Cunningham (16, Taieri) by 0.22sec, while Ashton won the women's 15-17 years 100m sprint in 12.52sec, also pipping Cunningham for first place by 0.8sec.
Spence was also a part of the Columba College relay team which finished second in the 4x100m mixed relay. Along with Cunningham, Ruby Coers (17) and Laura Saville (18), Columba College was the first female team to finish behind King's High School.
Danica Davies (17, Taieri), who finished third behind Ashton and Spence in the 100m hurdles, set an Otago record in the women's 17 years 3kg shot put. After her first four throws were fouled, she managed 12.54m with her fifth throw, before breaking the record with her 12.97m final throw, well clear of the old 12.65m record.
Davies also won the women's 15-17 years high jump and 1kg discus events.
Masters Fiona Harvey (54, Taieri) and Winifred Harding (59, Taieri) shone for Otago in the South Island masters at the Caledonian.
Harvey won the women's 50 years 3kg shot put (8.14m), 500g javelin (22.87m), 7.26kg weight throw (10.06m) and 3kg hammer throw (27.48m), just beating the 26.69m toss of Alison Newall's (54, Caversham) Harding won the women's 55 years 7.26kg weight throw (10.06m), 1kg discus (18.64m) and 3kg shot put (7.87m).
Corey Mennell (39, Southland) broke the only New Zealand masters record of the weekend in the 3000m race. He shattered the seven-year-old record by 34sec, finishing in 10min 10.29sec.
By Robert van Royen.
