University track stars shine at Varsity Sport
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) showed their strength at the first of the 2014 Varsity Sports athletics events held in Port Elizabeth on 21 March.
Teams of twenty-six athletes from universities around the country competed for honours during the exciting event.
UJ came out strongly with two impressive wins in the women’s track events to match the powerful athletes from UP-Tuks.
The university’s Monique Stander was unbeatable in the 800m.
After a characteristic fast start, Stander and Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metro University student, Annica Coetzee, led the field until the bell when Stander pulled away.
Racing only against the clock, she finished in a blistering time of 2.05.55 to set a new Varsity Sport’s record from Merise Malherbe of UP-Tuks and Coetzee who took second and third places respectively.
Stander’s UJ teammate, Caroline Marandela, took the 3000m crown.
The Varsity Sports concept, borrowed from the very successful United States of America college sports programme, combines the highest standards of university sports with hi-octane excitement.
The competitors and spectators ate up the excitement, soaked up the adrenalin packed programme and seemed to enjoy every minute of the non-stop action during the exciting and eventful evening.
The Varsity Sports programme has entered its second successful year during which the participating universities will compete across six sporting codes, the PE event being the first of the season.
In addition to the athletics programme, men’s hockey will take place from 3 May to 19 May at Wits University in Johannesburg, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg.
This will be followed by a hard fought football programme from 21 July to 15 September; netball from 15 September to 20 October, rugby sevens, and beach volleyball from 28 to 30 November.The marketing and sponsorship executive for Varsity Sports, Trent Key said, “The next leg of the Varsity Sports athletics programme is sure to bring another night of nail biting action”.
“If you can’t attend the sporting event, be sure to watch the drama unfold by following all the Varsity Sports events which are shown on SuperSport channel 210.”
