Sandton schools impress

The pupils competed in 200m, 500m and 1000m canoe sprint in single canoe races from the ages of eight to 18, while U14 and U18 racers also had the opportunity to compete in doubles races.

The championships was also an opportunity for the South African team to be selected to compete in the Junior World Sprint Championships from 23 to 26 July.

St Davids Marist College in Inanda was one of the schools which impressed at the championships with their primary school pupils earning enough points in their individual races to place the school at second with 135 points to H F Verwoerd Laerskool from Parys.

Spokesperson for the Gauteng Canoe Union Jennie Dallas said, “St David Marist College is one of the few Gauteng schools that recognise canoeing as a school sport, in line with the most prestigious boy’s schools in other provinces such as Michaelhouse, Maritzburg College, Hilton College and Paarl Boys’ High School.”

The St Davids Marist College high school team finished 26th overall with 46 boys high schools competing. Maritzburg College won with 287 points – home of numerous Dusi winners such as Andy Birkett current reigning champion for the past three years. Michaelhouse was second with 151 points, while Paarl Boys was third with 122 points.

Dallas concluded, “This prestigious annual sprint interschool competition brings the sprint season for our juniors to an end and the marathon season kicks off with the Gauteng marathon trials for all ages in mid-May to select a marathon team to represent the province at the SA Marathon Championships in June, in Pietermaritzburg.”