Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Gabrielle stars at MTBS meet
STELLENBERG High School came out trumps for a seventh consecutive year at the MTBS track and field meet at Green Point track last week. The school which was in first position from the start of the competition ended with 1 238 points. They were followed by Bellville, DF Malan and Tygerberg high schools.
DF Malan did not walk away empty-handed after they won the MTBS singing and pavilion cup competition and have dominated the athletics meet since its inaugural event in 1994.
However, it has been all about Stellenberg in recent years.
Among Stellenberg’s star athletes was Gabrielle Lazarus, who was in a class of her own.
Gabrielle, 17, from Brackenfell, won gold in the girls under-19 long jump, 100m and 400m hurdles events. She was also part of the under-19 4x100m relay team which finished in first place.
“The absolute best thing about MTBS is the team spirit, the way how every pavilion member, athlete and supporter’s heart beats for their team in that moment – every soul deeply invested, with the willingness and passion to compete. Stellenberg winning the MTBS athletics cup for a seventh consecutive year was like a dream come true. I was thrilled about my own performances, and hopefully, I can get better as the season progresses,” said the former Gene Louw Primary School pupil.
Gabrielle finished first in the girls under-20 long jump event with a leap of 5.45m and second in the 100m hurdles event clocking 15.89 seconds at the Western Province Athletics(WPA) Junior Meet, at the Parow Athletics Track, earlier this month.
Gabrielle, a member of the UWC Athletics Club, has her sights set on qualifying for the SA High Schools Championships and Athletics South Africa (ASA) Youth and Junior Championships. However, she will first need to take care of business at the Northern Zone and WPA Youth and Junior Championships.
“The Northern Zone High Schools Championships should be a blast as always. I don’t like raising expectations when competing, because anything can happen on the day. The plan is to take it one competition at a time and not get ahead of myself,” said Gabrielle, whose fondest track and field memory was competing at the SA Schools Championships for the first time in Durban in 2017.
“It was an out-of-this-world experience to compete against such talented athletes, to make new friends and meet people who were just as passionate about athletics as I am,” she said.
Last year, teenager had a stellar season after making the finals in the girls under-17 long jump and 100m hurdles event at the SA Schools Championships and the finals in the girls under 18 long jump event at the ASA Youth and Junior Championships in Paarl.
“I didn’t expect to make the finals but was stoked, and thankful are all words that come to mind regarding last season,” she said
Stellenberg High School’s sports organiser Heine van Dyk said a win like this gave the athletes confidence moving forward.
“This creates a culture of winning and with that comes so much more like good work ethic, teamwork, determination and learning to stay humble,” he said.
In other action, Stellenberg’s Nicola Middleton grabbed gold in the girls under-17 800m and 1500m events. She went on to pick up the silver medal in the 400m event. DF Malan High School’s Marga van der Linda outclassed her opponents by taking first place in the girls under-17 100m and 400m hurdles. Teammate Monja Theart picked up the gold medal in the girls under-17 100m and 200m sprints. Marga and Monja were part of the girls under17 relay team who finished in first place. Bellville’s Handré Carstens came first in the boys’ under-17 shot put and discus events.