Coach praises athletes for pre-nationals performances
Five runners from the club earned automatic qualification for the nationals while two have an outside chance.
The Benoni Northerns Junior Athletics coach, Sonja Ferreira, has praised the club’s junior top runners for qualifying for the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Cross-Country Championship next month in Gqeberha.
The athletes pulled all the stops in the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) Cross-Country Championships on August 19, with medal-winning performances that put them in contention for the team to represent CGA at the nationals.
The club returned from Krugersdorp with two gold medals, two silvers and one athlete finishing fourth. They all qualified for the nationals, while two other runners have an outside chance of making the team after finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
According to the CGA, the athletes must have participated in three league meetings and the provincial champs and must be in the top four at the provincials, to be considered for the team going to the national championship.
Ferreira said this was a reflection of their hard work and commitment during the season.
“It brings me great joy to acknowledge the dedication, hard work and passion that the athletes, coaches and everyone involved in the club have demonstrated throughout the year,” Ferreira said.
“The achievements of the club have not gone unnoticed, particularly in light of the remarkable success at the CGA provincials last weekend. They have shown incredible talent and commitment, reflecting the club’s commitment to fostering excellence in sports.”
Young Alexia Visser will earn her provincial colours after obtaining a silver medal in the girls’ U8 1km, clocking 04:13 for the second spot. In the same event, Nadia Myburgh clocked 04:33 to finish in fourth place to also qualify for the nationals.
Chelsea van Dyk and Siyanda Madlabane displayed great maturity and discipline, continuing their dominance in the boys’ and girls’ U12 3km race.
Van Dyk clocked an improved 11:07 for the gold medal to top the podium for the fourth time while Madlabane also obtained the top spot in the boys’ category, clocking 10:29 for his fifth first-place finish this season.
Jade Doran held her own in the girls’ U14 4km, slashing 26 seconds off her season’s best to finish in a time of 15:09 for a silver medal. This was an improved performance from Doran. She was only 11 seconds behind the dominant Kaitelyn Heymans from 32Gi, who clocked 14:58 for the gold.
Kayla Botha and Khaya Madonsela also pushed themselves in the girls’ and boys’ U10 2km to finish in the top six. Botha clocked 07:55 to finish sixth while Madonsela crossed the line in 07:35 for the fifth spot.
“Congratulations for an outstanding season. Your achievements serve as an inspiration to everyone in the sporting community.
• In the league meetings, Siyanda Madlabane finished first on four occasions while Chelsea van Dyk was on the podium three times.
• This was Jade Doran’s second podium finish. She also clocked her personal best of 15:09.
• Alexis Visser never finished outside the top three in the league meetings. She placed first twice and third once in her three league meets.
“As you prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead, please know that we are all cheering for you and have complete faith in your abilities,” said Ferreira.
Ferreira hailed the coaches Michael van Aswegen, whose influence on the likes of Van Dyk and Doran saw the duo clock PBs in the season, and Nkanyiso Mthembu who oversaw Madlabane’s dominance since the CGA first league meeting in Thokoza in May.
“I would also like to extend my gratitude to the coaches, parents and volunteers and all those who have supported the club’s endeavours. Your unwavering dedication has played an essential role in nurturing the athletes’ growth and success.”
She thanked the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) committee members for their support, adding that the juniors wouldn’t have been successful without them.
The CGA cross-country chairperson, Val Brentano, said the provincial team will be announced in due course. She said she was confident the province will send a strong team to the nationals.
“The season was successful. Over the years, CGA has performed exceptionally well at the national championships. We expect great performances from the team that we will select for the competition,” said Brentano.
The national championships will begin on September 16 at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha.For the full CGA cross-country championship results, click here.
Also Read: CGA meeting a success despite bus accident
Also Read: Northerns coach determined to succeed
