Local athletes excel at double-purpose cross-country event in Pretoria
With spots on the line for the national team to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in the United States in January, competition at the ASA Cross Country Trials this past weekend in Pretoria was particularly tough.
Pretoria’s Karabo Mailula (Tuks) emerged triumphant this past weekend, winning the women’s 10km race at the ASA Cross Country Trials, which was incorporated into the USSA Cross Country Championships and presented at Tshwane University of Technology.
Mailula’s winning time was 36:16. Cacisile Sosibo from Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) hung on to her shoulder for most of the race, but she slipped off the pace on the final lap and settled for the runner-up position in 36:32. Kyla Jacobs ended third in 37:08.
Jacobs, a former Pretoria resident who now lives in Somerset West in the Western Cape, participated in the colours of Western Province Athletics (WPA)
The men’s 10km race was won by renowned marathon athlete, Bennet Seloyi (CGA) in a time of 30:09, with Elroy Gelant from Athletics Central North West (ACNW) in second place in 30:18. Sanele Masondo, the KwaZulu-Natal native, currently studying in America, was third in 30:24.
Over the 2km distance, with athletes competing for selection for the mixed relay race at the World Championships, NWU student Luan Munnik (ACNW) and another local Pretoria star, Karabo More (Boxer), triumphed in the men’s and women’s events.
Munnik tore around the course in 5:31 to take the men’s race, with Christopher Swart (ACNW) finishing second in 5:35 and the Tuks athlete Abednico Choba grabbing third spot in 5:38.
Both Munnik and Swart are former Pretoria athletes who are currently affiliated with the North-West University in Potchefstroom.
More, who was crowned the new ASA 5km champion earlier this year with her victory at the national championship in Phalaborwa, was equally impressive in the women’s 2km event, winning in 6:20.
Carina Viljoen from Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) was second in 6:26, and Carmie Prinsloo took third place a further eight seconds back in 6:34.
Prinsloo’s time was the best among the students, who were simultaneously participating in the Universities Sport SA (USSA) championships, and she was therefore crowned the champion in this competition.
On Prinsloo’s heels in the 2km USSA championship race was another Pretoria athlete, Simonay Weitsz from TUT, who followed in a time of 06:43.
In the men’s 2km race, all three first-place athletes were also part of the USSA championship, meaning they each won two medals in one race.
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