The opening leg of the 2019 Varsity Athletics produced record-breaking performances at the newly refurbished Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch on Friday evening.
South Africa’s sprinting continues to flourish with the short distance providing high-octane action on the night. Tuks speedster Shaahid Motala produced a sparkling performance in the 100m posting a time of 10.03 seconds.
Motala had some trouble coming out of the blocks but held his composure to dip first at the line.
He chopped 0.31s off the personal best he clocked in Pretoria last month.
Motala finished well ahead of Chederick van Wyk, who finished second in a time of 10.14 with Theodor Young bagging bronze in 10.17.
It was also a new personal best for Van Wyk taking 0.04s off his previous best winning two sprint medals on the night after sharing the spoils in the 200m earlier.
“I’m actually ecstatic, I don’t know what to say, but I shocked myself,” Motala said.
“It was actually a bit tough towards the end because my leg cramped a but I crossed the finish line and that is the main thing.”
Madibaz sprinter Luxolo Adams continued his superb form from 2018 setting a new Varsity Athletics 200m record clocking 20.30 seconds. Adams shared the spoils with Chederick van Wyk, who dipped at the same time.
Van Wyk chopped 0.14s off his previous best announcing himself as another exciting sprinting prospect. The duo took 0.2s off the record world junior silver medallist Gift Leotlela set in 2017.
Rising middle distance athlete Aynslee van Graan of Tuks ran a well-measured race breaking the women’s 1500m Varsity Athletics record. Van Graan took the lead shortly after the first lap and opened the gap slowly but surely.
At the bell, she made her move for some good front running to win it comfortably in a time of 4:21.17. She chopped nearly six seconds off the previous record held by Danel Prinsloo.
Kovsies’ Marne Mentz finished behind her in 4:26.63 with Simonay Weitsz (Tuks) rounding off the podium in 4:28.36.
“I have to really have to focus on my last 300m because it is one of my weaknesses but I proved tonight I can change that,” Van Graan said.
“It felt like they were right behind me, and I just kept on pushing as I was scared they were coming.”
Top-class performances were not limited to the track with UJ’s Werner Visser breaking his own Varsity Athletics record with a winning heave of 59.57m.
Visser extended his previous mark by nearly four metres and improved on the personal best of 58.92m he set last month in Potchefstroom.
The women’s discus throw also produced a record-breaking performance with Riette Heyns of NWU improving Ischke Senekal’s previous mark.
Heyns landed a winning throw of 57.11m which is almost half a metre better than the Senekal’s record from 2017.
In the women’s high jump UJ athlete Julia du Plessis equalled the Varsity Athletics record with a winning leap of 1.80m. She shares the record with Marilize Higgins, who set the mark in 2017.
In the men’s high jump, Mpho Links narrowly outleaped Breyton Poole to break his own Varsity Athletics record by 5cm, raising the bar to a lofty 2.20m.
NWU finished at the top of the points table with a total of 15 590 points edging out UJ by just 45 points. UJ finished in second place with defending champions Tuks finishing third with 15 434 points.
Results
Women
100m:
1 Nabeela Parker (Wimpy Invitational) 11.54
2 Sokwakana Mogwasi (Kovsies) 11.58
3 Lente Pieterse (NWU) 11.94
200m:
1 Tamzin Thomas (UJ) 23.49
2 Sokwakana Mogwasi (Kovsies) 24.92
3 Brialene Felix (Madibaz) 27.07
400m:
1 Marlie Viljoen (Tuks) 54.69
2 Danel Holton (NWU) 54.74
3 Ariane Nel (NWU) 55.40
800m:
1 Niene Muller (Tuks) 2:08.22
2 Tsepang Sello (Kovsies) 2:08.47
3 Elise Groeneveld (Maties) 2:09.81
1500m:
1 Aynslee van Graan (Tuks) 4:21.17
2 Marne Mentz (Kovsies) 4:26.63
3 Simonay Weitsz (Tuks) 4:28.36
5000m:
1 Leanda de Bruyn (Wimpy Invitational) 16:40.37
2 Tsholofelo Zwane (TUT) 18:10.75
3 Sophie Cope (UCT) 18:26.92
100m hurdles:
1 Christin Fox (NWU) 14.09
2 Janke van Wyk (Maties) 14.44
3 Geraldine King (Wimpy Invitational) 14.78
400m hurdles:
1 Zeney van der Walt (Tuks) 58.24
2 Rogail Joseph (Wimpy Invitational) 59.84
3 Cynthia Tsetsewa (UJ) 1:00.00
High jump:
1 Julia du Plessis (UJ) 1.80m
2 Yvonne Robson (Tuks) 1.75m
3 Geraldine King (Wimpy Invitational) 1.70m
Triple jump:
1 Zinzi Chabangu (UJ) 13.34m
2 Gontse Morake (UJ) 12.53m
3 Maruska Janse van Rensburg (Madibaz) 12.42m
Discus throw:
1 Riette Heyns (NWU) 57.11m
2 Yolandi Stander (Kovsies) 52.70m
3 Anneke Kapp (Madibaz) 38.63m
Shotput:
1 Meike Strydom (UJ) 16.05m
2 Anneke Kapp (Madibaz) 12.37m
3 Tebogo Mapharumela (TUT) 7.55m
Hammer throw:
1 Tharina van der Walt (Kovsies) – 53.12m
2 Marinda Greyling (Tuks) – 52.58m
3 Monique Vosloo (Madibaz) – 39.92m
Javelin throw:
Anneke Germishuys (Maties) 45.96m
4x100m relay:
1 NWU 46.51
2 Tuks 47.72
3 Kovsies 49.20
Men:
100m:
1 Shaahid Motala (Tuks) 10.03
2 Chederick van Wyk (NWU) 10.14
3 Theodor Young (NWU) 10.17
200m:
1 Luxolo Adams (Madibaz) 20.30
1 Chederick van Wyk (NWU) 20.30
3 Theodor Young (NWU) 20.40
400m:
1 Zakhiti Nene (Wimpy Invitational) 47.29
2 Remano Felix (Madibaz) 47.48
3 Keegan van der Merwe (Wimpy Invitational) 47.94
800m:
1 Theuns Ehlers (Tuks) 1:49.28
2 Duran Faro (Wimpy Invitational) 1:49.68
3 Mpho Mokafane (UJ) 1:49.70
5000m:
1 Rowaldo Ratz (Wimpy Invitational) 14:30.34
2 Sive Ngubo (TUT) 15:39.51
3 Thabang Nkuna (TUT) 15:43.32
110m hurdles:
1 Tiaan Kleynhans (NWU) 14.05
2 Jason October (Maties) 14.41
3 Petrus Jacobs (Kovsies) 14.55
400m hurdles:
1 Sokwakhana Zazini (Tuks) 51.51
2 Sabelo Dlamini (UJ) 52.44
3 Lee-Hano Swarts (Madibaz) 52.70
High jump:
1 Mpho Links (NWU) 2.20m
2 Breytoon Poole (Maties) 2.15m
3 Nkosi Manqoba (Tuks) 2.05m
Long jump:
1 Divan Manuel (Maties) 7.96m
2 Peter Makgato (Kovies) 7.66m
3 Bevin Sasman (Wimpy Invitational) 7.44m
Discus throw:
1 Werner Visser (UJ) 59.57m
2 Johan Scholtz (TUT) 53.74m
3 Francois Vermeulen (Maties) 48.16m
Shotput:
1 Jason van Rooyen (UJ) 1966m
2 Ruan Combrink (Tuks) 17.35m
3 Werner Visser (UJ) 16.81m
Hammer throw:
1 Tshepang Makhete (NWU) 64.74m
2 Paul du Plessis (Madibaz) 49.86m
Javelin throw:
1 Brendon Skinner (NWU) 77.10m
2 Johan Grobler (NWU) 74.54m
3 Hercules van Vuuren (UJ) 68.36m
4x100m relay:
UJ 40.44
Tuks 40.71
NWU 40.95
By Ockert de Villiers
