Local athletes hunt down the medals

Athletes from Ehlanzeni produced scintillating performances in the blistering heat during the Mpumalanga High Schools Athletics Championships at Secunda Stadium on Saturday.

Young Amos Khoza (Rob Ferreira) ruled the u/15 boys 400-metre sprint and middle-distance events. His haul of three gold medals is a rare athletics feat and one to be proud of. He took gold in the 400 metres (51,00 seconds), the 800 metres (02:01,56) and then in the 1 500 metres (04:26,67).

Werner Bouwer (Hoërskool Nelspruit) was the Ehlanzeni team’s top performer in an individual event. An extremely focused and psyched Bouwer nailed 898 Athelics South Africa (ASA) points by throwing the javelin 64,87 metres in the u/19 age group. Nellies’ star did his school and region proud with the gold-medal-winning performance.

Thulani Lekhuleni (Rob Ferreira) won gold in the boys u/19 5 000 metres in a time of 15 minutes, 35,56 seconds. This brilliant achievement earned him 894 points on the ASA table. He also won gold in the 1 500 metres in a time of 4:06,63.

In the boys u/19 long jump, Maudas Banda (Hoërskool Bergvlam) beat his friend and rival Norbert Ponnisammy (Lowveld High) to claim the gold medal. Banda’s leap of 7,40 metres scored 885 ASA points.

Nolwazi Mashaba (Lowveld High) was the top ASA female points scorer in the Ehlanzeni team. She scored 881 points and won a gold medal in the u/15 triple jump with a remarkable 11,27 metres. In the process she broke her own provincial record of 10,98 metres set last year.

Christine Kruger (Rob Ferreira) won the girls u/15 shot put gold with a put of 11,61 metres and earned 873 points on the ASA table.

Naas Marais (NHS) launched the discus 50,88 metres to claim the boys u/17 gold medal and champion’s title. Marais then won his second gold medal with a personal best distance of 16,16 metres in the shot put.

Nkosan Mpinga (Rob Ferreira) won gold in the boys u/15 100 metres (11,22), gold in the 200 metres (23,12) and silver in the 400 metres (51,78). Another Ehlanzeni hero was Nicola Cronje (NHS). She won gold medals in the u/15 400 metres (59,56) and 800 metres (02:21,00).

Sprint sensation, Banele Shabangu (Hoërskool Barberton), dominated the u/15 girls short distances. The amazing athlete took bronze in the 100 metres (12,81) and gold in the 200 metres (26,00) and silver in high jump. Nomvula Sithole won the gold medal in the girls u/17 3 000 metres in a time of 11:25,41.

Just two-hundredths of a second separated DeVilliers Basson (NHS) and Francois Hattingh (HTS Middelburg, Nkangala) in the boys u/17 800-metre race. The Nellie’s mental strength came through and he clocked a personal best of 01:57,57 to win gold. He also claimed bronze in the 2 000-metre steeplechase.

Selenna Biggs (Curro) decimated the opposition in the girls u/15 1 500 metres. She took gold in a time of 05:10,67, more than nine seconds ahead of the silver medallist. Chyle van Zyl (NHS) threw the javelin 55,65 metres to win gold in the boys u/15 event. he also took silver in the discus with 50,91 metres and bronze in the shot put with 5,07 metres.

Uplands College’s Robyn Granville, competing as an individual athlete, won the gold medal in the girls u/19 high jump with 1,55 metres.

 

Other gold-medal winners were:

Bethel Mkoni: girls u/17 long jump – 5,14 metres

Gugu Nkambule (LHS): girls u/19 long jump – 5,50 metres

Nhlakanipho Malungisa: boys u/15 triple jump -12,34 metres.

Lusanda Mbatsane (Rob): girls u/17 triple jump – 10,11 metres

Frank Muwayi (LHS): boys u/17 triple jump – 13,90 metres

Skumbuzo Nkosi: boys u/19 triple jump with 14,04 metres

Andrie van der Merwe: Girls u/19 100-metre hurdles -15,86

 

Silver-medal winners:

 Norbert Ponnisammy (LHS): u/19 200 metres – 21,72 seconds, long jump – 7,30metres

Thandeka Mabuza: girls u/15 400 metres – 01:01,43

Oliver Ratmarajah (Penryn): boys u/17 400 metres – 50,74

Leon Pienaar (NHS): boys u/19 400 metres – 48,84; 800 metres – 01:57,00

Thembi Cossa (NHS): girls u/17 800 metres – 02:26,59

Asher Biggs (Curro): boys u/17 steeplechase – 07:14,87

Njabula Temilton (Bergvlam): boys u/15 long jump – 6,26 metres

Corlia van der Merwe (Bergvlam): girls u/17 long jump – 5,09 metres

Frank Muwayi (LHS): boys u/17 long jump – 6,70 metres

Vuvu Mtembu (LHS): girls u/19 long jump – 5,33 metres, triple jump – 11,25 metres

Megan Nel (NHS): girls u/15 triple jump – 10,35 metres

Tembalethu Mnisi (LHS): boys u/17 triple jump – 13,58 metres

Mandisa Sigudla (LHS): girls u/19 shot put – 09,92 metres

Sharne Landsman (Barberton): girls u/19 javelin – 27,02 metres

Neil Erasmus (Rob): boys u/19 javelin – 48,45 metres

Joshua Maas (NHS): boys u/17 javelin – 54,75 metres

 

Bronze-medal winners:

Norbert Ponnisammy (LHS): u/19 100 metres – 10,73

Christopher Thompson (Rob): boys u/17 400 metres – 50,90

Mia Erasmus (NHS): girls u/17 1 500 metres – 05:07,54

Enough Khoza: Boys u/15 3 000 metres – 10:12,92

Sesana Baloi (Rob): girls u/15 high jump – 1,50 metres

Filiance Mamba: boys u/15 high jump – 1,75 metres

Thandazo Skosana: girls u/17 long jump – 4,92 metres

Tebogo Maseema (Rob): boys u/17 long jump – 6, 37 metres

Thalepo Nkuna (Rob): boys u/15 triple jump – 12,14 metres

DJ Raulstone (Barberton): boys u/17 triple jump – 13,48 metres

Innocentia Nkhwashu (Rob): girls u/19 triple jump – 11,18 metres

Jean van Wyk (Rob): boys u/19 shot put – 12,29 metres

Henco Pieters (NHS): boys u17 discus – 45,98 metres

Neil Erasmus (Rob): boys u/19 discus – 35,15 metres

Ilke Joubert (NHS): girls u/17 javelin – 36,33 metres

Skumbuzo Nkosi: boys u/19 long jump – 6,71 metres

 

The local Ehlanzeni athletes who were selected for the Mpumalanga High Schools team to compete in the SA High Schools Athletics Championships in Bloemfontein from March 16 to 19 are:

 

 Hoërskool Barberton

 Anrie van der Merwe, DJ Raulstone, Banele Shabangu.

 

 Hoërskool Bergvlam

 Njabula Temilton, Maudas Banda.

 

 Curro Nelspruit

 Selenna Biggs.

 

 Lowveld High School

 Nhlakanipho Malungisa, Frank Muwayi, Norbert Ponnisammy, Thembalethu Mnisi, Gugu Nkambule, Sivuyile Mthembu, Nolwazi Mashaba.

 

 Hoërskool Nespruit

 DeVilliers Basson, Naas Marias, Chyle van Zyl, Tertius Mentz, Leon Pienaar, Stefan Smit, Joshua Maas, Werner Bouwer, Henco Pieters, Nicola Cronje, Megan Nel, Mia Erasmus, Ilke Joubert, Jesica Berry, Marne van Aarde.

 

 Penryn College

 Adam Leslie

 

 Hoërskool Rob Ferreira

 Amos Khoza, Nkosana Mpinga, Thalepo Nkuna, Vuyo Kok, Christopher Thompson, Kwandu Nhlabathi.