The year that was: A review of 2018’s Benoni sport highlights (July to December 2018)

This is Benoni’s 2018 sports year in review (from July to December):

July

• Teen Kiera Floyd banked her first provincial title with a runaway victory in the Gauteng North Women’s Open on July 2. Floyd’s one-under 71 propelled her to the top of the pile in the A-Division at Silver Lakes Country Club. The Ebotse Links talent closed out a six-shot victory on three-over 219 over Gauteng pair Kaleigh Telfer and Symone Henriques.

• Rynfield resident Meghan Hennessy headed to Singapore for the 2018 World Fitness Federation (WFF) Universe competition held on July 1. Although the fitness model did not feature in the top six as desired she was grateful to have competed on the world stage for the first time.

• Sixteen-year-old Benoni Small Farms resident Wayland Wyman won the Rotax African Open Senior Karting Championship held at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria. This victory earned the Kathstan College learner a ticket into the Rotax World Finals in Brazil later in the year.

• The Ebotse Parkrun was the place to be on the morning of July 21 where the old and the new of Comrades met. There were a number of noteworthy participants on the morning, including the presence of two Comrades Marathon women’s champions. The most recent Comrades women’s down run champion, Ann Ashworth, and her husband, David, ran the route while frequent Ebotse Parkrun participant Frith van der Merwe also ran on the morning.

• Golfers from Daveyton Golf Club brought pride back to their club when they achieved a historic feat at State Mines Country Club in Brakpan. The club hadn’t participated in the Ekurhuleni Golf Union’s (EGU) Scratch League B-Division for over 12 years and won the league on their long-awaited return.

• Benoni Country Club (BCC) member Kevin Smith booked himself an all-expense paid trip to China for the first International Golf Associates New Zealand (IGANZ) Global Infinity Series final in November. The Benonian showed calmness and composure to become the first IGANZ South African Long Drive champion after winning the final at the Serengeti Estate driving range on July 21.

• The annual Benoni Northerns Junior Hockey (BNJH) saw well over 1 000 people attending (836 children playing, coaches and supporters) from hockey clubs around Gauteng at Benoni Northerns Sports Club on July 28. The event continues to showcase the best of junior hockey.

• Local runners Perry Todd (Benoni Northerns Athletic Club) and Dawie du Toit (Benoni Harriers Athletic Club) took on the monumental task of running and completing the infamous Washie 100 Miler ultra-marathon, dubbed the ‘King of 100 Milers’ from July 28 to 29. Both finished with good times.

August

• Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club’s Major A baseball team finished as runners-up in the Gauteng Baseball Council’s Winter League behind the Edenvale Giants.

• The postponed Atlasville Parkrun got the go-ahead for August 18 following a successful meeting between Ward 23 councillor André du Plessis and Parkrun South Africa CEO Bruce Fordyce. The event was postponed twice due to issues raised by the community.

• Benoni Sailing Club concluded their 2017/2018 sailing season. The senior club champion for 2018 is Peter Clayton and the junior club champion for 2018 is Matthew Inglis.

• Benoni Northerns Athletic Club’s (BNAC) walking section shone brightly at the 51km Blood Buddy Memel to Newcastle Walk on a cold Women’s Day on August 9. Stephen Msimango was the first man home for the club, and the second overall finisher with the time of six hours, eight minutes and 25 seconds. The 53-year-old was only eight seconds behind the winner of the race. Legendary BNAC septuagenarian Sidwell Mhlongo (73) was the 11th man home overall with his time of six hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds. The first woman home, as well as the first novice walker home from BNAC, was Agnes Kirsch who crossed the line in seven hours, 21 minutes and 49 seconds.

• The number one ranked junior golfer in the country Jayden Schaper of Ebotse Links made a welcome return to the winner’s circle when he claimed the Nomads North and South title on August 16 at Country Club Johannesburg.

• Benoni golfer Caitlyn Macnab’s run in the Girls British Open Amateur ended with a third-round exit at Ardglass Golf Club in Ireland on August 17 when the 16-year-old was eliminated by Sophie Johnson from England.

September

• Inspired charges from Caitlyn Macnab (from Benoni) and Kaleigh Telfer (from Bryanston) in the final round of the World Amateur Team Championship in Maynooth, Ireland ensured a strong top 15 finish for South Africa in the 28th Espirito Santo Trophy on September 1.

• Farrarmere resident and Ekurhuleni Kayak Club (ERK) member Nicholas Weeks turned out in South African colours recently at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal. The former Benoni High School learner raced in the K2 (double kayak) 200m and K4 (four-man kayak) 500m events at the world championship.

• Farrarmere golfer Lejan Lewthwaite broke ground for local sportswomen when she won the IGT Challenge #12 event in a playoff at Maccauvlei Golf Club and became the first female champion of South Africa’s premier golf development circuit on September 12.

• Benoni’s own team, SA Bobsled, electrified the 25 000-strong crowds and the esteemed judging panel to win the 2018 Red Bull Box Cart Race down Johannesburg’s 500m Sandton Drive on September 16. The winning team, dressed to the nines in body-hugging green Lycra outfits, was a family affair with brothers Stuart and Gareth Turner teaming up with their father John and long-time friend Lloyd Herbst to make the bobsled.

• The Nomads Game Fishing Club, one of the largest inland game fishing clubs in the country, celebrated their Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary) this year by holding a banquet and prize-giving for 2017 and 2018 on September 8 at their clubhouse at the East Rand Speedboat Club (ERSC) at CR Swart Park at Rynfield Dam.

• Benoni Country Club’s (BCC) women’s league teams made a clean sweep and won all three of the Ekurhuleni Women’s Golf League sections they competed in during the 2018 season.

• SA Derby 2017 champion Nicola Sime-Riley of Benoni Agricultural Holdings’ Sunny Park Equestrian Centre, on her horse Sunny Park Stables El Paso, could not retain her title after a jump-off against Kelly O’Connor in the final main event at the Bob Charter Arena at Kyalami Equestrian Park on September 30.

October

• The much-anticipated third and final T20 international clash of the series between South Africa and Zimbabwe on October 14 was abandoned without a single delivery being bowled at Benoni’s Willowmoore Park. Torrential rain during the night carried through into the Sunday and made any thought of play impossible.

• Six members of Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club were part of the South African men’s national u-23 baseball squad which competed at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) u-23 Baseball World Cup. The u-23 World Cup took place from October 19 to 28 in the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Montería. Benoni Indians’ Major A baseball players Rowan Ebersohn, Tyler Croft, Brenton Faulds, Bradleigh Peeters and Anthony Sayers donned the green and gold as players while Richard Greenslade served as an assistant coach.

• Ebotse Links competed in the Ekurhuleni Golf Union’s Handicap League final on October 20 at Springs Country Club against Glendower. The team, who also won the league in 2017, managed to overcome the weather and win all six games, making it a clean sweep to claim the 2018 Handicap League title for a second year running.

•The Play Handball Supercup came to Daveyton’s Sinaba Stadium on October 20. It is the first handball and environmental tournament series in South Africa. Hosted by Play Handball ZA, teams competed in an u-14 mixed-team tournament as well as performed various environmental tasks on the day.

• Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) Premier League XI enjoyed a five-wicket, bonus point win in the Benoni cricket derby against Actonville Spurs Cricket Club (ASCC) on October 28 at Lords Cricket Grounds.

• The threat of bad weather was not enough to dim the optimism of the numerous community members who flocked to Benoni Northerns Sports Club on October 31 for the 10th annual Rowlin National Brokers Glow Run, organised by Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC).

November

• The South African Jet Sport Boating Association’s (SAJSBA) national Jet Ski racing season finale came to Benoni’s Rynfield Dam on Saturday with the fifth and final round of nationals taking place on November 3.

• Country View resident Chante Dixon (16) had a great race in the 10km distance at the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon on November 4. All went to plan for Dixon who finished as the first junior female and in ninth place overall with a finish time of 41 minutes and 15 seconds.

• Benoni golfer Lejan Lewthwaite claimed her second playoff victory on the IGT Challenge Tour, this time defeating Tristen Strydom at the second extra hole at Modderfontein Golf Club on November 7.

• Cricketer Aron Visser was announced as the Benoni Northerns Sports Club Senior Sportsperson of the Year on November 10.

• Removal of the original towers for the floodlights at Willowmoore Park in Benoni began on November 19 with the controlled toppling of two of the four towers.

• Jethro ‘Jet’ Eustice, a former Benoni Northerns junior hockey player, celebrated a remarkable achievement in his hockey career on November 28. The 29-year-old attained his 100th cap for the South African men’s hockey team at the Odisha Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.

December

• Cricket South Africa’s Momentum U-13 National Cricket Week was played at grounds around Benoni from December 10 to 14.

• The 2018 Inter-Provincial Golf Tournament (IPT) was played at Benoni Country Club from December 16 to 21.

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