Zandri retains national MTB title
Mpumalanga riders achieved an overall fourth spot at the 2018 Spur Schools MTB League Interschools final at Hoërskool Bekker in Magaliesburg over the weekend.
A star in the making, Hoërskool Rob Ferreira’s Zandri Strydom defended her title this year when she once again finished in first place in the junior category in a time of 28:33.
The 16-year-old has been the front-runner during the provincial legs of the series.
She outraced her opponent, Tiffany Keep (Thomas More College) by more than one minute. Tiffany finished second in 29:54 and a rider from Cornwill Hill, Azulde Britz took third with a time of 31:43.
A promising youngster from Hoërskool Nelspruit, Hijke Coetzee, returned with two gold medals – a silver in the interschools final and the following day she placed third in the interprovincials.
It was a fight to the finish, as the top-three riders were seconds apart.
Beani Thies (Wartburg Kirchdof) crossed the finish line in 31:09, Jone van Eeden of Potch Gimnasium in second (31:14) and Hijke rounded off the podium with a time of 31:40.
Bernice and Simoné van Wyk of Hoërskool Lydenburg achieved a second and a third place respectively.
