Uplands’ best sportsmen honoured
Caitlyn Cordeiro not only received the sportswoman of the year award at Uplands College annual honours awards evening, she was also the winner of the best all-round trophy as an outstanding role model to the school's aspirant, young sportswomen.
She has twice been selected to represent the Mpumalanga u/18A girls’ hockey team. Notable and identified success here stems from her three-year representation for Uplands’s, girls hockey first XI. She is only the second player in the school’s history to have achieved 50 first XI caps. As captain of the team in her matric year, she has led by example; by always giving her best. Her character, skill, dedication and leadership has earned her the respect of her team, opponents and staff.
She has been a member of the athletics team, has won both the junior and senior victrix ludorum trophies, and has won the annual Quad Dash four times. As a member of also the first netball team, she received honours for both sports (hockey) in grade 11. This year, she captained both of these teams and was reawarded honours in both disciplines. In hockey in 2015, she was again awarded the player of the year trophy that she won in 2014.
Chad Hawley won the sportsman of the year award. He made his mark in swimming, regularly getting up early in the morning on his own accord for extra training to compete at the top level. Having been awarded honours for swimming in both grade 11 and 12 he also won the best swimmer of the year trophy for two consecutive years.
He captained the swimming team this year where he again won the senior victor ludorum trophy at this year’s interhouse gala. At provincial level this young man has consistently qualified for the Mpumalanga team and has thus attained full provincial colours. He was elected to captain this side this year. He currently holds both the 50- and 100-metre Mpumalanga breast-stroke records. At a national level he has consistently qualified for level-three swimming. This year he took it one step further when he qualified for youth nationals, the highest level at which a school swimmer can compete in South Africa.
The best all-round sportsman was awarded to Clem Murray. This young man captained a very successful 2014 cricket u/17 side during December 2014. They won all their games, which included victories against Northerns and Eastern Province. He came back to lead the Uplands first Xl to numerous victories.
He was selected to the Mpumalanga Titans u/19 side while representing Uplands and writing his prelims. He was reawarded honours for cricket this year and won the player of the year trophy.
In hockey he has represented the first XI for the past three years. He is an outstanding player whose natural eye for the ball and competitive flair has led what has proven a resolute defensive platform. He has represented Mpumalanga u/18A, has achieved in excess of 50 caps for the first XI, has been awarded honours for two consecutive seasons, and has led the team in his capacity as vice-captain.
