Seroko powers to victory for first provincial title
She led the U12 girls' 3km from the start to the finish.
Tumishang Seroko put a difficult start to the season behind her in emphatic fashion on August 16, storming to victory in the U12 girls’ 3km to secure her maiden cross-country title at the CGA Championships in Germiston.
Running shoulder to shoulder with the boys, the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) junior athlete dug deep with grit and determination to cross the line eighth overall and first in her category.
Seroko stood poised at the start and, once the gun went off, settled in the middle of the leading pack until the 1km mark.
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She then fell back to the chasing group but pushed hard after some words of encouragement from her coach, Nkanyiso Mthembu, near the 1.2km mark.
The Kempton Park resident maintained that pace in the latter stages of the race and was met with loud cheers from her mother as she descended the hill near the Germiston Soccer Club clubhouse, surged down into the finishing straight, and cut the tape for her first provincial crown – beating a talented field that included the defending champion, Mahlatse Mamonyane.
“It felt awesome crossing that line as the first lady. I struggled a lot when the season started. This means a lot because I’ve never won a club’s provincial title before,” she said.
Despite her initial struggles, Seroko showed continuous improvement throughout the season. She debuted with a pedestrian 13:34 in the third CGA league meeting in Dobsonville, before clocking an improved 12:05 for her first podium in league four in Daveyton.
She concluded the league phase with a lifetime best of 10:24 for first place in the sixth league at Charl Baard Stadium in Brakpan last month, before capping her debut season with a golden performance at the provincial championships.
“My first race was hard. I struggled with the pace. But I improved a lot in the second league. After that, my confidence grew and I just went for it. This is all thanks to Coach Nkanyiso. He was instrumental in how the season played out.”
Looking ahead, the youngster’s lofty ambitions include a top-10 finish at her first ASA Cross-Country Championships next month in Middelburg.
“This season was competitive. I learnt a lot from the other girls. They pushed me hard. I want to conclude the season with a top-10 finish at the nationals,” Seroko said.
She expressed gratitude to her mother and teammates for their support throughout the provincial season.
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