Benoni runners set the pace at first cross-country league
National champions Chelsea van Dyk and Siyanda Madlabane began their season with victories in the U14 girls’ and boys’ 4km races.
The Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) cross-country commentator, Raymond Moeng, raved about the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club’s (BNAC) development programme when the yellow, white and red of Northerns led the Benoni charge in the first provincial league meeting at Kwa-Thema Stadium on May 3.
Moeng went haywire on his mic when throngs of Northerns youngsters dominated the always eagerly anticipated U8 boys’ and girls’ 1km race.
“It’s good to see the young runners from the BNAC competing. It shows that their development is taking shape. We hope to see more of these youngsters in the next few years,” he said.
It was a good day for the BNAC, Benoni Harriers and the East Athletic Club (EAC) as the sub-youth, juniors, and senior runners raised the greater Benoni flag high.
Girls
National U11 3km champion Mahlatse Mamonyane of the EAC set the pace with a dominant performance in the U12 3km race, winning in 12:06. Northerns’ Kayla Botha ran a disciplined race to finish sixth in 12:38, and Mila Rossouw was 11th in 13:10.
Bontle Makgalemele showed no signs of rust with a well-run third place in the U8 1km. She outsprinted teammate Zahra-Lee Nelson on the home straight to finish in 05:34. Nelson crossed the line a second afterwards.
Nolwazi Magwaza and Dominique Broughton were first and second in the U9 2km race, while Jordan-Lee Longstaff was fourth in the youth women’s 2km.
Two-time national champion Chelsea van Dyk was at her best in the U14 4km. She dominated the race from the start to the finish, winning in 15:12. Tamica Lloyd was fourth in 17:05, Jade Doran finished third in the U16 race in 16:30, with Benoni Harriers duo Kaitlyn Mackay and Mary-Jane Nel seventh and eighth, respectively, in the same race.
Kate van Jaarsveld won the sub-veteran women’s 4km race, and Northerns’ Thuli Mbatha finished the master women’s event first in 18:07. Bronwyn Nel was second in the junior women’s 6km, with Kiana Pepler fourth and Samantha Reyneke 10th.
Sarah Kiet and Carina Maber finished second and third in the senior women’s 4km race.
Boys
Northerns’ Bokamoso Nonyane, a silver medallist at last year’s nationals, set the pace with a first place in the U11 3km race. Oithekgile Tjege, Jordan Whittington, Baxter Towers and Giulio Enrico Airaga were in sublime form in the U8 1km race to finish in the top 10.
Joshua Helena and Masungelo Tlaka were first and second in the U10 2km race, Joshua Hamman was second in the U9s event, and Mpumelelo Mokoena clocked 06:35 for fourth in the senior men’s 2km.
National champion Siyanda Madlabane clocked 13:42 to win the U14 4km race. Kgalalelo Shuping, Samukelo Msibi and Mheho Mhlongo were third, fourth and fifth in the U15 4km event, with Zandrèh van der Merwe and Rhys Sawyer being seventh and 10th in the U13 category.
“The turnout and level of performances by the athletes exceeded our expectations, considering it was the first league,” said CGA cross-country chairperson Val Brentano.
The next league meeting is on May 17 at the Kagiso Sports Complex.
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