Teams of twenty-six athletes from universities around the country competed for honours during what was one of the most exciting events to be seen in the city.
UP-Tuks’ Orazio Orazio Cremona set the tone for an exciting evening by breaking the SA student record in the shot put, and he was backed up by Chad Herman who defended his javelin title and Duane Boer who won the long jump ev ent with a jump of 7.40m.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) came out strongly with two impressive wins in the women’s track events to match the powerful athletes from UP-Tuks.
Monique Stander was unbeatable in the 800m. Stander and NMMU’s Annica Coetsee led the field until the bell, when Stander pulled away. She finished in a blistering time of 2.05.55 to set a new Varsity Sport’s record from Merise Malherbe of UP-Tuks and Coetzee who took second and third places respectively.
Her UJ teammate Caroline Marandela took the 3000m crown.
Not to be outdone, UP-Tuks showed their class by winning three of the men’s track events and two of the women’s events in Port Elizabeth.
The Tuks hurdlers were on top form, with Le Roux Hamman claiming the 400m hurdles title and Kobus Moolman dominating the 100m hurdles whilst their 4x100m sprint team was in a class of their own.
The women’s 4x100m race was dominated by the UP-Tuks. Rikinette Steenkamp stormed into an early lead and the team raced away from the pack.
The UP-Tuks speedster and defending champion Anneri Ebersohn broke the tape in the 400m with relative ease.
Despite a good start from NWU-Pukke’s Carina Swiegers who ended up in third, the others were no match for Ebersohn. Maties’ Jean Marie Senekal finished in second position.
NWU-Pukke had to make do with one win on the track on the night, with Melissa Hewitt springing something of a surprise in the women’s 200m to beat Maties’ Justine Palframan.
The team from Kovsies made their mark in the 100m with Gideon Trotter beating UP-Tuks’ Akani Simbine, and NWU-Pukke took the mile mantle as Jerry Motsau proved a cut above the rest.
The women’s 200m was a closely contested event which proved to be one of the upsets of the evening.
Defending champion and favourite Justine Palframan from Maties was narrowly beaten by Melissa Hewitt from NWU-Pukke who finished in 24.02.
UP-Tuks’ Stella Marais, Marandela took first in the women’s 3000m from Marais who finished second and Van der Merwe who took third.
The next leg of the Varsity Sports athletics programme will take place at NWU-Potchefstroom on the 14th of April, shortly followed by the third event at Stellenbosch on the 21st and the University of Pretoria on the 28th April.
– Dummett and Company
