Papanui TocH has a proud competition history, stretching back nearly 70 years. In that time many Club athletes have featured prominently at Canterbury and national level, and represented New Zealand internationally.

While not the largest group of track and field athletes in the Christchurch area, the Papanui TocH seniors punched well above their weight in the 2022-23 summer season. In December, the 15-19 year-old group gained 13 podium finishes at the NZ Secondary Schools’ championships held in Taranaki. This included three first placings, to Una Kinjal-Reding in the Junior Girls’ para shot and javelin, and Zach Lappin in the Senior Boys’ para javelin. Una also established a new class record with her shot, as did Rorie Poff in finishing second in the Senior Boys’ combined para shot.

At the Athletics NZ championships in March, Papanui TocH athletes scored nine medals. James Moore (U18 men’s shot) and Isla Martin-McKenzie (U20 women’s pole vault) gained gold, along with Una Kinjal-Reding (U20 women’s para shot and javelin), Zach Lappin (U20 men’s para javelin) and Rorie Poff (U20 men’s seated shot). Sam Idiens (U20 men’s 5000m) and Tia Wynyard (U20 men’s high jump) finished third in their events, for bronze medals.

At the Athletics Canterbury championships, 21 Club athletes gained 29 podium finishes, including 16 wins. The newly-crowned champions included the women’s pole vault trio of Miah Taylor (U16), Isla Martin-McKenzie (U18) and Olivia Watt (U20), Zara McDonnell (U16 women’s high jump), James Moore (U18 men’s shot and discus), Pai Wynyard (U20 men’s 800m), Sam Idiens (U20 men’s 1500m), Ethan Smolej (senior men’s 800m and 1500m) and George Guerin (senior men’s 3000m steeplechase). The para duo of Zach Lappin and Rorie Poff picked up five golds between them and were joined by clubmate Julian Bethell, who won the 45-49 masters para shot and discus.
Joden Pratten, who earlier in the season had dominated the M40 class in the throwing events at the South Island masters championships, elected to compete in the open discus at the Canterbury champs and finished a close third to a pair of much younger rivals.