Nellies’ cross country athletes rake in the medals
Hundreds of cross-country athletes of all ages, representing their running clubs, schools or running as individuals, took advantage of their last chance to qualify for the national team at Hall's Gateway on Saturday.
Nellies, with the most entries on the day, shone at the event with 10 first places.
Event 1 saw the six-year-old Bea Henning from Laerskool Nelspruit finishing the one-kilometre lap in five minutes, taking the spoils.
Also from Laerskool Nelspruit, Kemea Fincham finished the same distance in 04:31:00. Adding to Nellies’ winning streak, Lua Henning reigned supreme in the u/8 age group, by finishing the race in just over four minutes.
Ihvan Pretorius finished in 03:39:00 in the boys u/7 category, and in the u/10 group, Ethan Green took the spoils by completing two laps in 06:59:00. Kaycee Fincham took first place in the u/10 girls category after crossing the finish line in just over eight minutes.
Lana Botha finished three kilometres in 11:06:00 and Joshua Fincham secured a win in his age group by finishing in 10:19:00. Furthermore, Tanya Pieterse finished in 10:45, taking the top spot on the podium.
These runners were all from Laerskool Nelspruit.
Kevin Forsman from Riverview Prep, and Gerrit Kroon and Julia van Aard from Curro, reigned supreme in their categories.
In event 4, with a distance of four kilometres, Mpho Mashego from Rob Ferreira High School took the spoils in 13:05:00, 47 seconds ahead of Bergland’s André van Schalkwyk.
Keeping Rob on top was Sibusiso Malapane in 13:05:00, with Genius Bhila hot on his heels in 13:30:00.
Rob Ferriera’s Gomatsegang Mosiako finished the same distance in event 6, in a time of 15:06:00.
Begvlam’s Sumari van Staden and Hoërskool Nelspruit’s Miranda Mans took the spoils in their categories.
