Author: ckoch

Hoewel Curro Hazeldean sake oorheers het, is Hoërskool Hartbeespoort se André Olivier na afloop van die C-Bond Interhoër, wat Woensdag by Piditch Stadion beslis is, as die senior victor ludorum van die byeenkoms aangewys.

Die o. 17-atleet het dié eer te beurt geval nadat hy 1 790 punte op die ASA-tabel versamel het.

Olivier het in die finaal van die 100 m-wedloop met ‘n rekordtyd van 10.58 s oor die eindstreep genael, en het nóg ‘n goue medalje in die 200 m om nek sy gehang.

Die algehele wenners van die dag was egter Curro Hazeldean, wat volgende jaar opskuif na die B-Bond toe, en hul Junior Sekhwela het, ten spyte van die bloedige hitte, drie keer die podium betree.

Sekhwela was in die seuns se o. 15-afdeling in die 100 m, 100 m-hekkies en verspring in aksie, en sy prestasies was 1 667 punte werd.

Dié seun se tyd in die hekkies-item van 14.40 s en afstand van 6.48 m in die verspring, wat ook ‘n nuwe rekord is, was beide goed genoeg vir ‘n goue medalje. Hy het ‘n tweede plek in die 100 m behaal met ‘n tyd van 11.39.

Matodz Ndou het sy pragseisoen voortgesit nadat hy reeds by die Curro Podium-byeenkoms uitstekende prestasies behaal het.

Sy tyd in die 110 m-hekkies was egter nie so goed soos die tyd wat hy by die vorige byeenkoms behaal het nie. Hier het hy die horlosie op 13.72 s laat stop.

Ndou (o. 17) is nietemin by die C-Bond as die beste hekkies-atleet aangewys, met ‘n tyd van 14.06, en dit was 901 punte werd.

Siya Mbeleki (o. 17) het geseëvier in die 1 500 m met ‘n tyd van 2:00.39, terwyl Realeboga Smith ‘n nuwe rekord van 08:45.29 opgestel het in die 3 000 m.

Laasgenoemde was, naas Ndou, die enigste ander seunsatleet wat die 900-merk op die ASA-tabel verbygesteek het.

Hoewel Curro Hazeldean meeste van die trofeë opgeraap het, het die seuns van Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS) óók heelwat silwerware huis toe geneem.

Jeffrey Singo (o. 17) het ‘n wennersmedalje vir sy poging in die diskus met ‘n reuse gooi van 47.61 m verower, terwyl sy spanmaat, Leso Lehumo, óók o. 17, as die beste verspringatleet vir sy afstand van 6.94 m aangewys is.

Spantotaal (Seuns):

1. Curro Hazeldean – 1 295
2. Pretoria Boys High – 1 232.5
3. Die Hoërskool Wonderboom – 1 097
4. Rietondale High School – 993
5. Hoërskool Erasmus – 954.5
6. Hoërskool Uitsig – 889
7. HTS John Vorster – 863
8. Hoërskool Hartbeespoort – 854.

Tumelo Mahan, a matric learner at Pretoria Boys High School, will represent South Africa at the 13th edition of the African Games, to be held in Ghana.

Making this accomplishment extra special is the fact that Mahan and his brother, Owethu (19), who matriculated in 2022, will be wearing the green and gold together in Ghana.

The Games are scheduled to be held from 2 to 23 March.

The brothers were informed of their inclusion in the team only last week.

Tumelo attended the Junior World Championships, in Israel, in September last year, as well as the Junior African Championships, where the 19-year-old qualified for the European Championships.

The humble yet highly talented swimmer is a sprinter who participates in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and butterfly events.

“I realised that I have a talent in both these items, and I truly wanted to grow,” Mahan says.

His best time in the 100 m freestyle is 51.54, while his personal best in the 200m is 01:54.41.

Born and bred in Pretoria, and captain of his school’s swimming team, Mahan attended Lynnwood Ridge Primary School and always wanted to attend PBHS afterwards.

“I’ve been swimming since I was eight years old. My parents originally introduced me to swimming purely because of water safety, but I soon discovered that I had a talent for it.,” he said.

Mahan has been training extremely hard ever since and his swimming started to really pick up when he joined the University of Pretoria club under the watchful eye of Tuks’ head coach, Rocco Meiring, in 2016.

Meiring was recently named the winner of the Swammy Award for African Coach of the Year – for the sixth year in a row.

Also read: St Alban’s hunt for upset against Pretoria Boys’ High

Before joining Tuks, Mahan was coached by Linda de Jager, who has since retired.

His swimming journey started with pool “floaties” in a small, backyard pool. Genuinely humble beginnings.

Mahan reckons that he is probably his toughest critic. “It might sound like a cliché,” he says. “However, I am constantly trying to be better than what I was yesterday.”

Although swimming is his great passion, he realises that academics also has an important role to play in his life.

His father is originally from America but has resided in South Africa since the age of 21.

Tumelo plans to study either BCom Financial Sciences or Marketing Management at Tuks.

“I don’t only want to be known as a swimmer, but for other achievements as well. I do swim to have fun, but at the end of the day, it remains a competition.”

His greatest dream is to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles, USA.

“I haven’t counted my medals, but I do keep each of them,” he chuckles.

“Having them displayed in my room, shows me the work that I’ve put in thus far.”

He doesn’t necessarily look up to swimmers only, but there is one athlete, the multi-talented American swimmer, Caeleb Dressel, that he enjoys watching.

Teacher-in-charge of swimming at PBHS, Alexandra Bolduc, believes that the Mahan’s family values set him apart from other athletes.

“His mother and father never miss a practice or a gala – whether it’s just a school gala or serious stuff, they are always there to support their son.

“Watching the brothers become the swimmers they have become, but, mostly, the gentlemen they’ve become, is such a joy.

“I remember my first encounter with Owethu. It was during an A-League Inter-high Gala. There was a thunderstorm and we decided to arm wrestle, and I came off second best,” Bolduc laughs.

“Tumelo arrived two years later with such spirit and leading the pack. The little ones, the ‘fantastic four’, look up to Tumelo as an amazing role model – not just as a swimmer but as a man.

“Watching them just blows my mind.”

Bolduc added that she wants front-row tickets for LA.

“It has been a blessing and an honour to watch them and witness who they have become. It is going to be an adventure to watch them on the way forward.

“They must fly.”

On Friday, PBHS will host their annual Inter-House Gala.

The atmosphere during the E-Bond Inter-High Athletics Meeting, which took place at the Pilditch Stadium on Monday, 19 February, was electric with the raw energy of anticipation and excitement. And when it was all over, the adrenaline was still pumping as just 93.5 points separated first and second places.

Victory went to HeronBridge College (HBC), whose boys finished first and their girls second, which secured the school from Fourways the top honours with a combined score of 2 236.5.

Woodhill College (Pretoria) pushed them all the way but had to settle for second place with 2 143.

Middle distance coach of HBC, Billy Beyneveldt, said the school was incredibly proud of all its track and field athletes, who were led from the front by the captains, Kaylin Stratton and Tiso Bhebhe.

“HeronBridge broke many of the existing records and we brought home a total of 126 medals,” he said.

Luke Zissimides of the winning school (u15) was awarded the Junior Field Victor Ludorum and Daniella Driessel (u17), also of HBC, was crowned the Senior Field Victrix Ludorum.

Lolwethu Makasi (u17) bagged the most points on the Athletics South Africa (ASA) table for senior girls with golds and new records in the 100m, 200m, and long jump.

Her record of 25.42 seconds in the 200m was worth a very healthy 859 points.

Caleb Webb was also a three-time winner, taking victories in the 200m, 400m and long jump.

Jennifer Watson (u17) matched that with three golds, too, for her efforts in the 800m, 1 500m and 3 000m.

“Thank you to HTS Tuine who hosted a most successful day,” said athletics organiser of Hebron, Gayle Williams.

Results

Girls

• HebronBridge College – 1 149
• Woodhill College – 1 147
• Hoërskool Langenhoven – 975.5
• Hoërskool CR Swart – 938.5
• The Glen High School – 900
• Curro Roodeplaat – 823
• Hoërskool Silverton – 784.5
• Hoër Tegniese Skool Pretoria-Tuine – 687.5.

Boys

• Hoërskool Langenhoven – 1 137
• Hebron Bridge College – 1 087.5
• Hoërskool CR Swart – 1 012
• Woodhill College – 996
• Hoërskool Silverton – 992
• Curro Roodeplaat – 860
• The Glen High School – 818
• Hoër Tegniese Skool Pretoria-Tuine – 723.5.

Combined

• Heronbridge College – 2 236.5
• Woodhill College – 2 143
• Hoërskool Langenhoven – 2 112.5
• Hoërskool CR Swart – 1 950.5
• Hoërskool Silverton – 1 776.5
• The Glen High School – 1 718
• Curro Roodeplaat – 1 683
• Hoër Tegniese Skool Pretoria-Tuine – 1 441.

As a result of severe thunderstorms, the Inter high D-League, which was hosted by Sutherland, could not be completed.

The event ended before the u14 boy’s freestyle event.

Hoërskool Waterkloof B emerged as the overall winner with 735 points, with Rietondale High School close behind with 660. Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord finished in third place with 476.

Afrikaans Hoër Meisieskool D, finished top in the girls’ division (456), Rietondale second (347) and Hoërskool Waterkloof B in third place (313).

In the boys’ division, Hoërskool Waterkloof B (422) walked away with the laurels, Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord (316) was second, and Rietondale High School, with just third points behind Rietondale with a score of 313.

Conrad van Rooyen, u14 boys and under (Hoërskool Waterkloof), and Rietondale High School’s Adam Stam, u16 and under were the top swimmers after the day’s event with a total of 48 points. In the girl’s section, it was Waterkloof’s Emma Oosthuizen (48) and Rietondale’s Mekayla Rew, also with 48 points claiming top honours.

Van Rooyen claimed first place in the 50m with a time of 47.06 seconds. In the 200m relay he and his teammates, Ruben Burger, Dylan Walker, and Jaykin van Heerden, also placed first.

With three gold medals behind his name, in the 200m freestyle relay, Van Heerden, Lian Potgieter, and Walker touched the blocks first in two minutes and 29.31 seconds.

The 14-year-old earned his fourth gold medal in the butterfly event with an incredible time of 40.73 seconds.

The Rietondale swimmer, Stam was first in the 200m individual medley with a fantastic time of 2:39.14. He earned his second golden medal in the 100m freestyle event in 56.69 seconds.

Greg Kitaba, Lehlogonola Masemene, Stam, and Temosa Makgwala claimed the top spot in the 200m medley relay in 2:40.82.

He ended his last event on a high note in the 50m butterfly with a time of 31.38 seconds.

Oosthuizen claimed first position in the 200m individual medley (2:44.99). Yet again she was top on the podium in the 50m Breastroke (56.69). In the 200m Medley Relay, team Arné Cloete, Emma Botha, Emma Oosthuizen, and Juhné van den Heever swam their way to first place with a time of 2:47.86.

With almost a minute, Rew managed to beat her opponent in the 200m individual medley with 2:55.39.

With a time of 41.30 seconds, she managed to take first place in the 50m backstroke. In her third event of the day, she finished with a time of 34.31.

“It’s a great pleasure for me to announce that it is the first time that we are hosting a D-League Gala at Sutherland. The swimmers are enjoying themselves. It’s the first time that we are hosting an interhigh gala in a 25m pool. Normally it is hosted at Hillcrest. We would like to thank the officials, teams, and schools for their participation,” said Gavin Coetzee of Sutherland High School.

Waterkloof will, from next year, compete in the C-League.