Mokoena steals show at South African Youth and Junior championships

Khotso Mokoena stole the limelight at the South Africa Youth and Junior Championships staged at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium, when he established a new men's Africa Junior and National Senior record in the Triple Jump record (2 - 3 April 2004).

African junior record

Mokoena achieved a milestone in his young career when leapt to a distance of 16.96 metres on his third attempt, improving his all time best by 16cm. His opening jump measured 16.09, which he improved to 16.55 in the next attempt.

The landmark achievement also meant he shattered Olivier Wikus' (16.89) ten year old national senior record. At the same time he bettered Nigeria's Paul Emordi (16.78) African junior record set two decades ago.

"After I won the Long Jump (7.88m) on Friday night, I knew that with the grace of God I would break new grounds in the triple jump. After I set the record, I was so excited that I saw no need to continue jumping. My goal has been to qualify for the Athens Olympics during our domestic season," a delighted Mokoena declared.
 
"Mokoena is a mere ten centimetres shy of the long jump qualifier for Athens. That is our next focus at the National Olympic Trials in a fortnight," confirmed Mokoena's coach and teacher Elna de Beer .

She explained that as a final year student at the Nigel High School, it is not in his interest that he travels overseas to try and qualify in the run up to the Olympics. "If we can qualify now, then we can concentrate on training and his studies until the World Junior Championships.That is our plan," de Beer revealed.

Wouter le Roux's 49.73 beats Louis van Zyl

Wouter le Roux staged the biggest upset of the championships when he beat the World Junior and national senior champion Louis van Zyl, in the junior men's 400m Hurdles. 
 
Drawn in the inner lane next to Le Roux, Van Zyl drew level with his main rival by the fifth hurdle. Running into the second bend Le Roux accelerated. He draw level with Van Zyl on the home straight, before edging him in the closing stages of the race. Le Roux cliked 49.73 to Van Zyl's 50.46.

"Our game plan was to run conservatively in the first half as we knew Van Zyl would have almost the entire Free State Stadium cheering him. Wouter is much stronger than he was last year and his improved endurance paid off," said Le Roux coach Juan Strydom.

Le Roux, who had earlier set a career best of 47.57 in the 400m flat says improving his career best from 50.81 at the World Youth Championships last year, has came as no surprise. "My training is much harder now. I face stiffer competition nowadays and so I have to train like a big boy."

"My focus is now on the World Junior Championships. However at our Olympics Trials, I want to improve on my personal best of 49.45," confirmed Le Roux who is the World Youth silver medallist.

National Youth and Junior record in Discus

Earlier on Marli Knoetze for the second time this season set the national youth and junior record in the girls' Discus with a 51.63m effort. While the versatile Justine Robbeson confirmed she is a medal contender for the World Juniors when she amassed 5616 points in the Heptathlon. This is well inside the qualifier of 5275.

Junior 100m record for Julius
 
Sprinter Leigh Julius pulled togther a double. He clocked a career best and national junior record of 10.32, before clinching the gold in 200m (21.02).

"Last year I won both events in the national youth championships. That gave me the confidence that enabled me win two medals at the World Student Games. Now that I have won the double in the junior division my primary focus is on the World Juniors and the Oympics," says Julius.
 
However, with a 200m season best of 20.69 he still has some ground to cover before qualifying for the Athens.

"That is why I plan to run only the 200m at our Olympic Trials. With so many preliminary rounds before the finals, I may focus on only the 200m, where I feel I have a better chance of qualifying for Athens," says the World Students 200m champion.

Olympic dreams for Maboa too

Another athlete with an Olympic dream Bonolo Maboa who retained his 800m title with a 1:48.62 effort. In the process he pulled runner up Sydney Mofologela (1:49.49) and Bongani Mgemane (1:49.89) to achieve personal best and qualifier for Grosseto (World Jnr Champs).

"I have built my endurance through competing in the 1500m. This should enable me better my career best (1:46.25). In fact, I feel strong enough to run a sub 1:46 at the Olympic Trials," said Maboa

Several athletes set personal bests at the contest used to select South Africa's team for the World Junior Championships to be held in Grosseto, Italy in July. In all 25 men and 16 women set qualifying standards.

Mark Ouma for the IAAF

SELECTED RESULTS
Note: All athletes are South Africans
NWR denotes No Wind Reading
OLY A denotes qualified for the Athens Olympics A Standard
OLY B denotes qualified for the Athens Olympics B Standard
WJC denotes qualified for the World Junior Championships
AJR denotes Africa Junior Record
NSR denoted National Senior Record
NJR denotes National Junior Record
NYR denotes National Youth Record
PB denotes Personal Best
* The implement used is not those recognised by the IAAF

JUNIOR MEN

100m (+0.2)
1 Leigh Julius 10.32 PB/NJR/WJC
2 Jean du Randt 10.62 WJC
3 Hannes Dreyer 10.79

200m (+0.3)
1 Leigh Julius 21.02 WJC
2 Jean du Randt 21.40 WJC
3 Alex Shiburi 21.70

400m
1 Chris Gebhardt 47.07 WJC
2 Wouter le Roux PB/47.57 WJC
3 Sydney Mofoogela 47.74 PB/ WJC

110m Hurdles (+0.4)
1 Ruan de Vries 14.19 PB/ WJC
2 Leon Fourie 14.20 PB/ WJC
3 Brendon Taljaard 14.76 PB

400m Hurdles
1 Wouter le Roux 49.73 WJC
2 Louis van Zyl 50.46 WJC
3 Vian Louw 52.76 WJC
4 Frikkie Botha 52.78 WJC
 
800m
1 Bonolo Maboa 1:48.62 WJC
2 Sydney Mofologela 1:49.49 PB/ WJC
3 Bongani Mgemane 1:49.89 PB/ WJC

1500m
1 Isaac Mbuyase 3:48.38 
2 Samson Ngoepwe 3:50.28 PB
3 Ronnie Mahlangu 3:51.12 PB

3000m Steeplechase
1 Mandla Maseko 9:12.79
2 Skhumbuzo Kharitzi 9:15.62
3 Zolile Bhitane 9:25.96

5000m
1 Avukile Ntogana 14:42.65 PB
2 Dominique Khoza 14.46.42
3 Zolani Bhitani 15:06.20

10000m
1 Nkosinoxolo Sonqibido 30:37.95
2 Roger Davids 31:59.16
3 Nkululo Zamisa 32:19.07 PB

10000m Walk
1 Thinus Esterhuizen 46:19.71
2 Pierre de Villiers 49:30.14
3 Jacobus van Dyk 49:52.95

Long Jump
1 Khotso Mokoena 7.88 (NWR) WJC
2 Pieter Smit 7.36 (NWR)
3 Regan Julius 7.36 (NWR)

Triple Jump
1 Khotso Mokoena  16.96 (+1.7)  PB/ AJR/NSR/ WJC/ OLY A
2 Simeon Mars 15.55 (+0.8)
3 Kgopolo Makgate 14.50 (+1.0)

High Jump
1 Ramsey Carelse 2.15 WJC
2 Fanie van Rensburg 2.10
3 Wilmar Vessagie 2.05 PB

Pole Vault
1 Brent Howell 4.90 PB
2 Herman van der Walt 4.20 PB
3 Waldo van Niekerk 4.10

Javelin
1 Lohan Rautenbach 69.44 WJC
2 Raldu Potgieter 69.20 WJC
3 Dewald Nel 64.23

Discus
1 Donovan Snyman 54.06 WJC
2 Uwe Sauer 52.94 PB/ WJC
3 Stefan Reynecke 51.43 PB

Shot Put
1 Kosie Barnard 17.92 WJC
2 Ross Jordaan 17.44 PB
3 Donavan Snyman 17.24 PB
4 Danis Bezuidenhout 17.04 PB 

Hammer
1 Jaco Bruwer 56.52
2 Charl Bekker 55.39
3 Gerrit Thirion 51.66 PB

Decathlon
1 W. Coetzen 6509 points
2 Mattheus Hannus 5722 points
 
4x100m Relay
1 Gauteng North 41.54
2 Eastern Province 42.06
3 KwaZulu-Natal  42.47

4x400m Relay
1 Free State 3:10.85
2 Gauteng North 3:11.50
3 Central Gauteng 3:13.32

YOUTH BOYS

100m (+0.7)
1 Jeandre Rossouw 10.74
2 Brendon Clement 10.76
3 Lita Mayekiso 10.81

200m (+0.5)
1 Jeandre Roussouw 21.61
2 Ernest Hattingh 21.63
3 Brendon Clement 21.68

400m
1 Ruaan Grobler 47.89 WJC
2 Willie de Beer 49.17
3 Chatllin Smith 49.61

110m Hurdles (+1.8)*
1 Hercules Venter 13.70
2 Reinhardt Strydom 13.76
3 Andre Hattingh 13.88

400m Hurdles
1 Jacques de Kock 52.59 WJC
2 Andre Hattingh 53.12
3 Wikus Jonck 53.43

800m
1 Erwin Schmidt 1:52.19
2 Samuel Sepene 1:53.40
3 Petrus Johnson 1:54.98

1500m
1 Jan Masanamela 3:55.74
2 Gerswin Jones 3:57.44
3 Rowan Prins 3:58.97

2000m Steeplechase
1 Suyaya Khoza 5:52.74
2 Patrick Magadla 5:55.62
3 Basil Mazibuzi 5:56.65

5000m
1 Tshamako Setone 8:33.04
2 Gerwin Jones 8:38.95
3 Dumiso Hlaselo 8:43.55

10000m Walk
1 Werner Appel 51:59:24
2 Bendie Rathbone 56:11:68
3 Andre Bekker 56:29:88

Long Jump
1 Jacques Laubscher 7.22 (NWR)
2 Keenan Watson 7.16 (NWR)
3 Wilven Louw 6.81 (NWR)

Triple Jump
1 Alex Terblanche 14.50 (+3.9) PB
2 Aviwe Simakuhle 13.74 PB
3 Sandy Sithole 13.68 PB

High Jump
1 Maurice Fischer 2.05 PB
2 Sean Stone 2.00 PB
3 E. M. Langenhoven 2.00 PB

Pole Vault
1 Francois Germishuys 4.20 PB
2 Gerhard Marx 4.10 PB
3 Ian Kucharcki 4.10 PB

Javelin*
1 Martin Gouw 69.33 PB
2 Noel Meyer 69.06
3 Tobie Holtzhausen 66.94 PB

Discus
1 Ben Venter 54.61
2 Martin Maggee 53.63
3 Hannes Grobler 51.10

Shot Put*
1 Jan Hoffman 20.15
2 Jaco Jonkers 17.23
3 Martin Maggee 16.97

Hammer*
1 Heinrich Gonzales 60.58
2 Johan Kruger 59.36
3 Pieter Badenhorst 58.48

Octathlon
1 Jan van Rensburg 5266 PB/ NYR
2 Hennie Badenhorst 4602
3 Sydney Clarence 4208

4x100 Relay
1 Western Province 42.22
2 Eastern Province 42.71
3 Boland Athletics 42.78

Medley Relay (100m, 200m, 300m, 400m)
1 Gauteng North 1:57.61
2 North West North 1:57.94
3 Eastern Province 1:57.95

JUNIOR WOMEN

100m (+0.5)
1 Cindy Stewart 11.85 PB/WJC
2 Melissa le Roux 12.06
3 Marguerite Venter 12.17

200m (+0.2)
1 Amanda Kotze 24.08 PB/WJC
2 Gaileen van der Westhuizen 24.39 PB/ WJC
3 Melissa le Roux 24.93

400m
1 Amanda Kotze 54.77
2 Gaileen van der Westhuizen 55.88 PB
3 Lizel Pretorius 55.93

100m Hurdles (+1.9)
1 Jackie Kriel 14.05 PB/WJC
2 Christine Ras 14.24 PB
3 Rene van der Merwe 14.48 PB

400m Hurdles
1 Teanette Wienand 1:00.09
2 Chantelle Terblanche 1:00.25
3 Licinda Liebenburg 1:00.51

800m
1 Rozanne van der Westhuizen 2:11.35
2 Claudia York 2:11.92
3 Lizel Pretorius 2:12.50

1500m
1 Nicoleen van Rooyen 4:28.67 PB
2 Christine Kalmer 4:33.91
3 Mapaseka Makhanya 4:36.24

3000m
1 Nicoleen van Rooyen 9:41.82 PB
2 Christine Kalmer 9:49.42
3 Zintle Xiniwe 10:10.73

3000m Steeplechase
1 Masello Moekoa 10:46.19 PB/ NYR/ WJC
2 Mapaseka Makhanya 11:35.98 WJC
3 Molrato Segotso 11:38.56 PB/WJC
4 Noleen Conrad 11:41.61 PB/ WJC

5000m
1 Zintle Xiniwe 17:07.66
2 Masello Moekoa 17:36.82
3 Rochelle Moses 17.36.87

5000m walk
1 Handrie Botha 53:32.35
2 Suzana Erasmus 55:22.72
3 Ruzanne Harris 55:51. 28

Long Jump
1 Lindi van Dyk 5.84 (NWR)
2 Marianna Booysen 5.80 (NWR)
3 Charne Nel 5.65 (NWR)

Triple Jump
1 Arline Muller 12.30 PB
2 Martell Schoeman 12.06 PB
3 Charlene Henning 11.85

High Jump
1 Anika Smit 1.82 PB/ WJC
2 Marne van der Burgh 1.75
3 Rene van der Merwe 1.75

Pole Vault
1 Marna van Der Bergh 3.50 PB
2 Anel Jansen 3.40 PB
3 Amor Adendorff 3.10 PB

Javelin
1 Elizna Labuschagne 47.82 PB
2 Riatha Jacobs 44.40 PB
3 Ananda van Schalkwyk 43.00

Discus
1 Magdel Venter 46.75
2 Amanda Myhhardt 42.60 PB
3 Anelda Smith 41.98 PB

Shot Put
1 Magdel Venter 12.66
2 Anelda Smith 12.35
3 Karin Snyman 12.16 PB

Hammer
1 Tanya Weyers 46.03 PB
2 Anje Croker 41.05
3 Karin Muller 38.47

Heptathlon
1 Justine Robbeson 5616 points WJC
2 Marinda Bruwer 4154 points

4x100m Relay
1 Eastern Province 49.07
2 Free State 49.42
3 Boland Athletics 49.59

4x400m Relay
1 Central Gauteng Athletics 3:47.37
2 Eastern Province 4:01.62
3

YOUTH GIRLS

100m (+2.1)
1 Isabel le Roux 11.89 PB/WJC
2 Christy Coetzee 12.08
3 Danita Fourie 12.28

200m (+2.0)
1 Isabel le Roux 23.94 PB/ WJC
2 Wenda Theron 24.69
3 Christy Coetzee 24.73

400m
1 Angela Wagner 56.20
2 Natasha Marias 57.47
3 Colleen Lesch 57.71
 
100m Hurdles (+2.1)
1 Mariska van Driel 13.74 PB/WJC
2 Wenda Theron 14.27
3 Charlotte Redelinghius 14.42

400m Hurdles
1 Mariska van Driel 1:01.32
2 Carla Hugo 1:03.47
3 Nerina Kruger 1:04.48

800m
1 Angela Wagner 2:10.15
2 Recinda Hanekom 2:14.10
3 Chantell van Heerden 2:15.19

1500m
1 Nanet Grobbelaar 4:29.92
2 Recinda Hanekom 4:31.95
3 Irvette van Blerk 4:35.70

3000m
1 Irvette van Blerk 9:57.86
2 Pradaxedis Dim 10:01.09
3 Lusanda Bomvama 10:05.94

5000m Walk
1 Rianda Booysens 28:50.20
2 Karlien Doubell 29:00.60
3 Elana Louw 29:03.40

Long Jump
1 Carla Marais 5.63 (NWR)
2 Marike Steyn 5.60 (NWR)
3 Wenda Theron 5.54 (NWR)

Triple Jump
1 Carla Marais 11.83 (+1.7)
2 Rochelle van der Merwe 11.46 (+2.6)
3 Marika Steyn 11.37 (+2.1)

High Jump
1 Tillanie Neethling 1.70
2 Tertia Stander 1.70
3 Somarlie du Plessis 1.70

Pole Vault
1 Nicole Loesch 3.40
2 Leanne Viviers 3.30
3  Carmen-Ann Lombaard 3.00

Javelin
1 Anzel van der Schyff 46.11
2 Melissa Fourie 44.45
3 Aneen Groenewald 42.37

Discus
1 Marli Knoetze 51.63 PB/ NJR/WJC
2 Simone du Toit 45.39
3 Henriette Loggenberg 42.45

Shot Put
1 Simone du Toit 15.28 PB/NYR/WJC
2 Marli Knoetze 14.85 WJC
3 Elizka van der Merwe 12.94

Hammer
1 Karin le Roux 42.14
2 Elizka van der Merwe 41.03
3 Danel de Jager 40.72

Heptathlon
1 Alisa van der Merwe 3819 points
2 Marinda van der Merwe 3570 points
3 Aneret Viljoen 3383 points

4x100m Relay
1 Boland Athletics 48.18
2 Central Gauteng Athletics 49.16
3 KwaZulu-Natal Athletics 49.38

Medley Relay (100m, 200m, 300m, 400m)
1 Gauteng North B 2:15.02
2 Boland Athletics 2:16.48
3 Eastern Province 2:19.38