Heenan heads Michaelhouse at 65th Dusi challenge
AGOOD entry of 16 boys and two staff members represented Michaelhouse at last weekend’s 65th FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon with Craig Heenan – who was paddling with Durban-based Bailey de Fondaumiere – leading the charge in the U18 K2 boys’ category to come second in 9 hours 47 min 02 sec.
This was after heading their category for the first two days only to relinquish the lead to eventual winners Mpilo Zondi (Computershare Change a Life Academy) and Mark Keeling (Fish Hoek HS) who finished about 10 minutes ahead of them.
Emanuel Zaloumis (MHS) and Hamish Lovemore (Hilton) came in third in 9:56:01 holding on to the bronze medal spot on the podium by two minutes.
Warren Yoko (MHS) and Craig Pitt (College) won the U16 Boys category and were also presented with the trophy for best time by a novice pair.
The Junior (U18) K2 team trophy was won by Natal Canoe Club with Michaelhouse paddlers Daniel Dillon, Kelvin Green, Carlisle Hartman and Willian Lyle the runners-up.
Michaelhouse Old Boys, brothers Alan and Andrew Houston, won the men’s U23 with an astonishing fourth place overall. * EPWORTH School also had a good three days paddling on the river with 15 girls celebrating at the finish of a bumper Dusi with four girls in the first three boats in the K2 U18 section.
They were Cana Peek who with Kyeta Purchase (Our Lady of Fatima) came first, Brittany Eayrs who with Gemma Lawson (The Wykeham Collegiate) came second and Jamie- Lee Robertson and Gina Forno who came third.
Cana and Kyeta, who came third overall in the women’s race, also broke the day one and day two U18 girls’K2 records as well as the overall U18 record with a new time of 9:43:51 which would have given them second place in the U18 Boys K2 race.
There were three Epworth former pupils in the first three women’s boats – Abby Solms who came first with Anna Koziskova (Czech Republic) and Tamika Haw and Alex Adie (twin sister of Abby) who came second paddling together.