Parys Masters victorious at SAMA
The Free State province closed the National Championship with 14 gold, 13 silver, and 12 bronze medals.
The 47th SAMA Track and Field Championship happened at the PUK McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom from 2 to 4 May 2024, and the Masters from Parys were there to get in on the action.
Seven athletes from Parys Multisport entered for this year’s National Championship. They were Koos de la Rey (M75), Eugene Martins (M65), Pierre Fourie (M45), Eddie Bronkhorst (M45), Johan Stroh (M40),Werner Olivier (M35), and Reandi Bronkhorst (W30).
Eugene Martins competed in the 5,000 m on Thursday, bringing home the first gold medal for the team, finishing in first place with a time of 22:07. In November 2023, Eugene represented South Africa at the AFMA Champs in the 6 km Cross Country Running event, where he also finished in first place and set a new South African Record for men 65–69 years. Eugene will now shift his focus to the Cross Country season, which kicks off at Koedoeslaagte on 11 May 2024.
Koos, Pierre, Eddie, Werner and Reandi competed in the 200 m Sprint on Friday. Reandi finished her 200 m in 27.51 and immediately competed in the long jump event, which earned her a second silver medal for the day with a distance of 4.37 m. Eddie finished second in the M45 category with a time of 25.32, with Pierre behind him in third place with a time of 25.52. Werner finished the M35 category in fifth place with a time of 25.50.
Koos won the M75 category and the second gold medal for the team with a time of 37.94. Eddie and Johan started the final day of the championship with the long jump event. Johan Stroh finished in third position for men 40–44 years with a distance of 5.45 m. Eddie declared on a distance of 4.85 m to prepare for the 100 m Sprint event.
Five Parys’ athletes competed in the 100 m Sprint event in their respective age categories. Reandi was awarded a silver medal with a time of 13.27, Koos finished in first place with a time of 17.72, Pierre achieved third place with a time of 12.31, followed by Eddie in fourth place in 12.57. Werner finished in fifth place with a time of 12.35.
Lynette Fisher joined the Parys sprinters to complete the Free State 4×100 m mixed relay team. Eddie ran the first stage, Lynette the second, Pierre the third, and Reandi the final stage to secure fourth place for Free State.
The Free State province closed the National Championship with 14 gold, 13 silver, and 12 bronze medals.
The Parys Masters brought home 3 gold medals, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals. We congratulate all the athletes on their achievements and participation in the 2024 SAMA Championship.
