Nationals experience a big boost for young BAC athlete
She finished the U13 girls' high jump in seventh place.
Although the results might not have gone her way, rubbing shoulders with some of the country’s talented up-and-coming athletes at the ASA sub-youth track and field champs was still a worthwhile experience for Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) high jump sensation Alexis Nel.
Nel clocked a top 10 finish in the U13 girls’ high jump after clearing 1.48m to finish seventh in the competition at the Athletics Free State (AFS) Stadium on December 7.
Her highlight was watching the likes of Franzelle Barnard, Erin Parry and Declynne da Silva scale heights she hopes to clear as she continues to grow as an athlete.
“My goal was to clear as high as I could and maybe place. I didn’t but it was still a good performance,” she said.
It was indeed a good performance although her 1.48m was a fraction shorter than her provincial championships height of 1.50m three weeks ago, which earned her a silver medal.
The 13-year old Bardene resident gave it her all and given the fact that Da Silva and Parry had experience at that level with the former grabbing a silver in the U11 girls’ high jump and the latter finishing fifth in the same category at last year’s inter-provincials in Secunda, her performance was still among the best on the day.
Barnard cleared 1.60m for the gold while Parry and Da Silva were joint second after jumping 1.57m for the silver. Kaitlin Zoe Kruger rounded-up the podium after also clearing 1.57m.
“The competition was very nice. I was a little bit nervous because seeing all the other girls jump higher, I stressed I wouldn’t jump like them. But other that, I enjoyed.”
Her biggest lesson was to never doubt herself and she will carry it with her into the new year, where she hopes to clear over 1.50m.
“I’m taking it a competition at a time. I want to keep improving. Being at the nationals is very good. The stakes are high. But if I focus on myself and put everything into it, I could jump higher,” Nel said.
The youngster got into athletics in Grade Four and by Grade Five chose to focus on the high jump because of her gymnastics background.
“I feel like I’m myself when I jump. I fell in love with it in Grade Five because I did gymnastics and I thought I could do it. I also enjoy seeing the other girls jump. I love the sport.”
Other results
The BAC’s Mikayla Booyens finished 11th and 12th overall in the U9 girls’ 60m and 80m sprints while Lian du Plessis was 10th and 14th in the U7 boys’ 60m and 80m.
Hurdler Charnè Erasmus was seventh in the U13 girls’ 75m hurdles and finished 12th in the 200m hurdles while thrower Lanelda Herbst threw 09.92m for 14th in the U13 girls’ shot put.
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