Local athletes dominate at CGA track and field meeting
The former Arbor Primary School learner is aiming to make the team to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games in Paris in July.
Brentwood Park resident Lythe Pillay dominated the senior men’s 200m after clocking 21.14 seconds for the gold medal during the CGA track and field meeting at Germiston Stadium on February 24.
Pillay, a 400m specialist, beat Fitness For Africa’s Matthew van Rooyen who crossed the line in 21.20. Thembisa’s James Tshiyombo rounded up the podium in 21.54.
Locals dominate
Following the foundation laid by Pillay, local athletes dominated their categories as Kevin Hickley, Matthew Mackay and Gift Nkosi continued their rich vein of form.
Benoni High Athletic Club’s (BHAC) Hickley won the men’s U20 1 500m in 04:00 for his third podium this season. His team mate, Kiana Pepler, received a silver in the women’s race in the same distance after crossing the line in 05:04.
Mackay was first in the men’s U20 3 000m after breaking the tape in 09:22, and Avuma Pheza from the Daveyton Club, East Athletic Club (EAC), finished in third place, 24 seconds behind the BHAC runner. Pheza also claimed a silver medal in his category in the 5 000m.
EAC’s Nkosi claimed the gold in the women’s U20 5 000m race, crossing the line in 18:53. She won a bronze medal in the 3 000m while team mate, Azelia Zitha was first in the women’s U18 race in the same distance.
Cameryn de Meyer of the BHAC was second in the women’s U20 800m, finishing the race in 02:37 and Thato Sesoko, from EAC, claimed the bronze in the U16 race in 02:23, five seconds behind second-placed Megan Kleynhans, who finished a second behind winner, Caitlyn Dukoff-Gordon.
In the sprints, Keira Fouchè from Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) won the women’s U18 200m in a quick-fire 25.69. She was second in the 100m in 12.82.
Logan Oosthuizen from Benoni Northerns Athletic Club won a pair of bronze medals after finishing third in the U16 boys’ 100m and 200m. He clocked 11.85 in the 100m and 23.78 in the 200m.
The BAC’s Seth Agliotti cleared 1.75m for second place in the men’s U18 high jump.
Senior men entertain
The senior men’s 5 000m, which boasted a stellar line-up of 17 runners, including national 10km record holder Precious Mashele, left the spectators on their toes with a thrilling finish.
Mashele dominated the event until the last two laps when overtaken by eventual winner, Phemelo Ntoe from UJ.
Nkosinathi Sibiya was second and Marco Bucarizza third, while Mashele settled for the fourth spot.
Over 1 000 runners took part in the event. They will now turn their focus to the provincial championships. The juniors and U23s will compete on March 8 and 9 at Germiston Stadium, and the seniors will follow on March 16 at UJ Auckland Park Athletics Stadium.
From there, CGA will select the team to represent the province in the ASA track and field championships in Pietermaritzburg from March 23 to 25.
Also Read: Lythe wins ASA young athlete of the year award
Also Read: Olympian Lythe Pillay visits his former primary school Arbor
