Athletes and coaches honoured for stellar season

Athletics Central North West (ACNW) hosted a special awards function at the NWU Sport Village on Wednesday, 15 November, to honour the top athletes and coaches who performed at national and international level in 2023.

ACNW Athletes were honoured who represented their country overseas and who broke national records.

It was a successful year for ACNW, who also hosted the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom, amongst many other excellent athletics events at the NWU Kenneth McArthur Athletics Stadium.

Photos: Wouter Pienaar

In his absence, the highly acclaimed javelin coach, Terseus Liebenberg, was also awarded with the ACNW Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards given were as follows:

Coaches awards:

• Jean Verster

Coach of

• Elroy Gelant – World Half Marathon 2023 – Riga
• Christopher Swarts – 1 500m World Students Games – China 2023

• Johan Van Niekerk

Coach of

• Michaela Thomsen – African Games 2023
• Amogelang Tatai – African Games 2023
• Erich Wiese

Coach of Ewald Jansen – Commonwealth Youth Games 2023

• Shaun Bownes

Coach of Liezel Gouws – World Paralympic Championships – France 2023

100m – 7^th

400m – 5^th

• Paul Gorries

Coach of

• Benjamin Richardson – World Champs in Budapest 2023

100m & 4 x 100m Relay

• Rogail Joseph – World Students Games – China 2023
• Cyril Lawless

Coach of Sihle Mahlangu – Africa Junior Champs 2023 in Ndola

• Werner Burger

Coach of Sandri van Rooyen – Africa Junior Champs 2023 in Ndola

• Terseus Liebenberg

Coach of:

• Jo-Ané Van Dyk – World Athletics Championship in Budapest 2023

10^th in Final

• Waldouw Smit – World Athletics Championship in Budapest 2023

12^th in Group A

New USSA Record at the USSA Championships 2023 – 83.29m

• Cobus Groenewald

Coach of Janise Nell – Africa Junior Championship – Zambia

2023

3^rd. place

• Stephan Louw

Coach of Karmen Fouche – World Student Games China 2023

• Doritha du Toit

Coach of Valco Van Wyk – World Student Games China 2023

11^th place.

• Elroy Gelant

Coach of Tamzin Thomas – World Student Games

China 2023

Bronze – Relay

Athletes awards (Athletes who participated overseas and who set a new Athletics South Africa (ASA) record):

• Elroy Gelant

World Half Marathon 2023 – Riga

• Christopher Swarts

1 500m World Students Games – China 2023

• Michaela Thomsen

African Games 2023

• Amogelang Tatai

African Games 2023

• Ewald Jansen

Commonwealth Youth Games 2023

• Liezel Gouws

World Paralympic Championships 2023 – France

100m – 7th

400m – 5^th

• Benjamin Richardson

World Champs in Budapest 2023

100m & 4 x 100m Relay

• Rogail Joseph

World Students Games – China 2023

• Sihle Mahlangu

Africa Junior Champs 2023 in Ndola, Zambia

• Sandri van Rooyen

Africa Junior Champs 2023 in Ndola, Zambia

• Jo-Ané Van Dyk

World Athletics Championship in Budapest 2023 -10th in Final

• Yaaseen Kahaar

Indian Ocean Island Games – 800m Final

2023

Madagascar

• Waldouw Smit

World Athletics Championship in Budapest 2023

12th in Group A

New USSA Record @ Champs 2023 – 83.29m

• Janise Nell

Africa Junior Championship – Zambia 2023 – 3rd place

• Karmen Fouche

World Student Games 2023 – China

• Valco Van Wyk

World Students Games – China 2023

11th place

• Tamzin Thomas

World Student Games – China 2023

Bronze – Relay

• Dino Nako

World Cross Country 2023

Australia