Action-packed first day in provincial champs at Boksburg Stadium
The athletes delivered closely contested duels and blistering individual performances.
The first day of the Gauteng Athletics Championships for Primary Schools delivered beyond expectations with mouth-watering action on the track and field at Boksburg Stadium earlier today (March 8).
The athletes delivered closely contested duels and blistering individual performances, exhilarating the packed crowd on the venue’s main pavilion and grass bunker.
The action started with the 1 200m heats, and Daveyton resident and Madingoane Primary School learner Mahlatse Mamonyane set the venue alight with a well-paced race to win the U10 girls’ heat with a sprint finish in the third event of the morning.
Running in Gauteng East colours, Mamonyane started slowly as part of a group that sat closely behind the leader from early on.
She showed her intention at the bell when she swung her arms fiercely and increased her pace.
But she had one last hurdle to overcome before taking control of the race. In a duel with the leader on the shoulder after the 800m mark, Mamonyane moved to her right, trying to pass the learner from Gauteng West, but the youngster upped her speed and blocked Mamonyane from taking the lead.
On the straight after the second shoulder, Mamonyane’s coach, Isaac Ndlovu, shouted instructions to the athlete, which seemed to fuel the youngster’s fire.
She passed the exhausted leader and sprinted to the finish unchallenged to qualify for tomorrow’s final.
“I enjoyed myself. I was a little scared at the start because I thought I would lose,” Mamonyane said after the race.
“The leader made things difficult for me, and that sort of got into my head. She was very disruptive.
“When I increased the pace, she would sprint in front of me and block my way. But I am happy I won. I am ready for tomorrow’s final and hope to qualify for the nationals.”
On the field, Laerskool Dalview learner Trinity Henning, also representing Gauteng East, threw one of the longest throws in the javelin heats despite her small frame.
The multi-disciplinary athlete, who also does cross-country, triathlon and swimming, has been to the nationals before but competed in different disciplines. She said that this time, her goal was to qualify and compete in the javelin.
“I always try to throw my best. I’m the smallest on the field, but I give it my all. I’ve never been to the nationals with javelin. That’s why I want to push myself to qualify,” she said.
Mamonyane and Henning joined hundreds of others from schools across the province to compete for podium positions and qualify for the nationals at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane from March 24 to 26.
The action continues at Boksburg Stadium from 06:00 tomorrow (March 9).
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