Nolwazi is still SA’s golden athlete

Lowveld High School’s Nolwazi launched herself over a distance of 12,32 metres to claim the gold medal for girls u/17 in the triple-jump event.

The 16-year-old, who broke a 33-year-old record at the Mediclinic Nelspruit Interhigh earlier this year, bagged her second medal of the day as she took silver in the long jump with a distance of 6,12 metres.

The speedsters from Hoërskool Rob Ferreira; Lwazi Mogodiri, Junior Mondlane and Ashaan Sebastian Greaver; ran a startling time of 43,17 in the boys u/15 4×100-metre relay, claiming a gold medal.

Junior also took the runners-up spot in the long jump event with a distance of 6,63 metres – just short of the winning distance of 6,85 metres set by Lesedi Moloto of Gauteng. The 15-year-old’s effort of 13,26 metres in triple jump was good enough for bronze – a mere centimetre short of silver medallist Onalenna Oliphant from the Free State.

2017 SA School title holder, Hoërskool Nelspruit’s Douw Kruger (u/16), placed second for boys u/17 shot-put with a heave of 17,44 metres.

Teammate Van Reenen Kruger, who delivered stellar performances this year, scooped the silver medal for boys u/15 in the 300-metre hurdles with a blistering time of 13,38.

The foursome of Van Reenen, Tertius Mentz (both from NHS), Rob’s Nhlahla Maseko and Sean Mendes (HTS Middelburg) were awarded their silver medal in the 4×400-metre relay for boys u/19 with a time of 3:17,65. The gold medal was won by team Gauteng in 3:09,79.

The medley relay team (100 metres, 200 metres, 300 metres and 400 metres) which consisted of Benji Richardson (Curro), Junior, Ashaan and Darryl rounded off the podium for boys u/15.

Mammoth efforts from Ilke Joubert (Nelspruit, shot put u/19), Ruan Labuschagne (Nelspruit, 400-metre hurdles u/19) and Rhode Nel (Nelspruit, 4×100 relay u/15) saw them all claiming bronze medals.