Local athletes to watch in the CGA cross-country season

If Siyanda Madlabane and Chelsea van Dyk’s incredible performances in last year’s cross-country season were anything to go by, this season will be one to savour.

The Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) junior athletes won many hearts last year following their consistency throughout the CGA league season.

They topped this with titles at the provincial championships before Van Dyk successfully defended her national title, while Madlabane upgraded his silver from 2023 to a gold medal at the ASA national championships in Vandrbijlpark.

They will resume their love affair with rough terrain of cross-country this weekend when the local season starts.

While they will likely continue to shine, Madlabane and Van Dyk won’t be the only local athletes looking to make a mark when the CGA season starts at the Kwa-Thema Sports Complex on May 3.

Over 20 athletes represented the Greater Benoni area at the national championships last year, with three winning gold medals while one got a silver.

Among other notable performances at the nationals, Alexia Visser fell a place outside the top three in the U9 girls’ 2km while Dominique Broughton was the first CGA athlete to cross the line when she finished eighth in the U8 girls’ 1km race.

From youngsters like Bontle Makgalemele, Broughton and Henry Hamman, to experienced campaigners like Emma Hickley, Kaitlyn Mackay and Kayla Botha, it’s going to be a bumper season and it will be interesting to see their continued development as they look to qualify for the nationals.

Based on last season’s results, here are five youngsters to look out for:

Bokamoso Nonyane

Nonyane had a great debut season. He was dominant in the league phase and won the gold at the provincial champs in Kagiso. He added a silver medal after his runner-up spot at the nationals.

Mahlatse Mamonyane

Mamonyane is an exceptional middle-distance runner. The East Athletic Club (EAC) runner won the gold medals at both the provincial and national champs. Although she’s had some difficulties with injuries, she’s expected to do well if she remains fit.

Alexia Visser (If competing)

She finished fourth in the U9 girls’ 2km race at the nationals in Vanderbijlpark. As she continues to improve, she will sure be one of the BNAC’s shining stars this season.

Kgalalelo Shuping

Shuping will make his debut on Saturday. After an excellent track season, where he finished third at the provincials and represented CGA at the nationals, Shuping will look to make his mark in the U16 boys’ 4km, which is loaded with exceptional runners.

Zandreh van der Merwe

Van der Merwe suffered a bout of flu at the provincials in Kagiso after an incredible run in the league meeting, where he went toe-to-toe with eventual national champion Indiphile Myeki. He missed out on a spot at the nationals but if nothing hampers his progress this season, he’s expected to qualify for his first national championships.

Also Read: BNAC’s Kotze happy with performance in cross-country debut

Also Read: Northerns’ Henry gets provincial colours