THEY put down the books and headed for the playing fields - it was King Edward VI School’s annual athletic finals day.

On July 10, 1972, four of the school’s previous records were smashed by the sporty pupils.

Hugh Donovan achieved 1.76 metres in the high jump, breaking the 11-year-old record set by RG Colenso by .01 of a metre.

Another new record was set by Peter Hill in the fourth year shot putt. Hill put the shot 11.27 metres to improve by .03 of a metre on the old mark set by CN Pink in 1970.

The third record broken was also in a field event - with PW Mitchell bettering the fourth year javelin record by over five metres with a throw of 39.90 metres.

The only mark achieved in the track event was by Chris Burt who clipped 16 seconds off the former record by winning the third year 1,500 metres in a time of 4min 15sec.