Held at the Tuks athletics stadium, it proved a fitting venue for the concluding leg of a season that has witnessed not only superb performances across both track and field, but outstanding crowd participation.
The momentum and fever-pitch excitement witnessed from the very first event at NMMU, which has continued unabated at subsequent events held at both UJ and Maties, reached a deafening crescendo last night, with teams from universities around the country giving it their all in their last chance of the season.
The University of Pretoria, UP-Tuks, came out strongly not only as the winner but also as overall winner in this year’s Varsity Athletics Programme.
Not only have UP-Tuks finished first in every meeting this season, but the win sees them claiming their seventh consecutive title having now placed first in all seven years throughout the history of Varsity Athletics.
The women’s team from UP-Tuks gave the home crowds plenty of reason to scream and cheer as they took home four of the five track titles on offer at the event.
With the exception of Melissa Hewitt, NWU-Pukke who raced to another win in the 100m in a time of 11.72, the UP-Tuks’ women’s track team clearly showed their dominance.
The 400m hurdles saw defending champion and record holder, Anneri Ebersohn run a season’s best of just over 57 seconds with team mate Anuscha Nice taking the 800m title in a time of 2:08.78.
The final lap in the 3000m came down to a bit of battle between defending champion Caroline Marandela from UJ, TUT’s Thembi Baloyi and UP-Tuks’ Stella Marais. However, in the end it was Marais who sprinted away to take the title in front of her home crowd.
The 4x100m relay proved a fitting end for the women’s track events as UP-Tuks, who looking in complete control the entire race, gave the crowds another win on home ground.
However, the men’s track events proved a bit more of a challenge for the team from UP-Tuks, with UFS-Kovsies taking home two of last night’s wins.
Kovsies’ Rynhardt van Rensburg took home first place in the men’s mile snatching victory from NWU-Pukke’s Jerry Motsau in the last few moments of the race, with team mate Wayde van Niekerk finishing first in the men’s 400m with a time of 45.37.
However, it was ultimately UP-Tuks who proved their mettle with wins across the 200m, 110m hurdles and 4x100m relay.
Firm favourite Akani Simbine dominated from the start of the 200m with his only challenger Gideon Trotter, UFS-Kovsies. But it was ultimately Simbine who crossed the finished line first, accompanied by deafening screams from the home crowd.
Kobus Moolman retained his title in the 110m and in the 4x100m relay; Akani Simbine led the home side to a fabulous win resulting in a clean sweep this season.
The field events saw a mix of winners. Dewald van Heerden, UJ, threw 54.98 in the men’s Discus to finish first ahead of UP-Tuks’ Orazio Cremona who finished second with a throw of 54.05.
UFS-Kovsies’ JVA Steytler took home a win in the High Jump with a jump of 2.08 and Maties’ Boipelo Mothlathlego finished first in the men’s Triple Jump ahead of local favourite, Dwayne Boer, UP-Tuks.
In the women’s field events, UJ and NWU-Pukke each took home two of the titles with wins by Patience Ntshingila in the Long Hump and Lezaan Jordaan in the Shot Put with a distance of 15.92.
NWU-Pukke’s Megan Milke emerged victorious in the javelin with her throw of 49.98 with team mate Nanette Stepelberg clearly winning the Hammer Throw with a distance of 55.80.
In addition to the athletics programme completed last night, men’s hockey will take place from 3 to 19 May at Wits University in Johannesburg, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg (UJ).
The start of the season will see all eight hockey teams (Maties, Rhodes, UFS-Kovsies, UP-Tuks, UJ, UCT-Ikeys, NMMU and Wits) competing at the University of the Witwaterstrand.
Hold onto your seats and if you can’t be there, be sure to watch the drama unfold by following all the Varsity Sports action on SuperSport channel 210.
Varsity Sport
