Northerns youngsters start track and field season positively
They began their road to the provincial and national championships with encouraging performance.
The Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) junior runners kicked off the CGA track and field season on a high note at the first league meeting at Germiston Stadium on January 31.
The athletes began their road to next month’s provincial and national championships with sensational performances, aiming to meet the qualifying standard for the national age-group showpiece, scheduled for March 26 to 28 at the same venue.
Girls
In the sprints, Taylah Cobbett won the U18 women’s 100m with a blistering 12.41, before clocking 25.56 for second place in the 200m.
Denè Geldehuys was fourth overall in the U16 girls’ 100m in 13.21 and sixth in the 200m in 27.54, while Pamela-Jo Mostert was 11th in 28.29 in the same race.
Gemma Rigele was fourth in 58.65 in the U18 girls’ 400m, with Jordan-Lee Longstaff 12th in 01:11.77.
In the middle distance events, Chelsea van Dyk led the way with victory in the U16 girls 3 000m in 09:53.53, before smashing the national 1 500m steeplechase record when she clocked 04:50.34, smashing Isabella van der Merwe’s 05:01.44.
Steeplechaser Jade Doran began her provincial and national title defence with a decent 07:35.97 in the U18 girls’ 2000m steeplechase.
Tamica Lloyd finished a commendable fourth in the 1500m steeplechase in 06:10.90 after a hard slog in the three and three-quarters laps of the track.
Teeghan Sawyer clocked 05:42.79 in the 1 500m, while Nqobile Banda and Dinah Sithole finished their 5000m races in 19:43.15 and 19:52.69, respectively.
On the field, Rigele cleared 1.50m for second place in the high jump, and Geldenhuys threw 19.27m in the discus.
Boys
Anele Skwatsha displayed massive improvements in the 800m. He won his heat in 02:01.71 to finish third overall.
Rhys Sawyer was second in his U16 boys’ 400m heat but finished ninth in the overall results, while Joshua Broughton clocked 05:35.81 in the U16 boys’ steeplechase.
The CGA track and field commission chairperson, Maggie Dicks said the league provided athletes with an important opportunity to test form and build momentum for the remainder of the season.
“Congratulations, all athletes, coaches, technical officials, and affiliated clubs, for their contribution to a successful event. The performances delivered at this league signal that it will be an exciting and competitive season,” she said.
The second league meeting is on February 7 at Germiston Stadium.
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