High schools athletics hots up

WITH zonal athletics meetings done and dusted, it is now down to the business end of the Western Province high schools athletics season.

This will see the top athletes from the Northern, Southern, Table Bay and False Bay zones do battle at the WP High Schools Championships at the Parow Athletics Track this weekend.

Among those eyeing a spot in the provincial side is Brackenfell High School’s Elitha Sylvester.

Elitha, 17, claimed the gold medal in the girls’ under-19 100m and 400m hurdles events at the Northern Zone High Schools Championships at the University of the Western Cape last weekend.

She had a great start to the season after she won the girls’ U20 100m hurdles event, clocking 15.16 seconds at the Western Province Athletics (WPA) junior meet.

She went on to finish second in the girls U20 400m hurdles event clocking 64.83 seconds at the WPA league 3 meet. However, no wind was indicated.

In her first outing of the season, Elitha finished in first place in the girls U19 long jump, 100m and 400m hurdles events at her inter-schools meet in Parow last month. She was also part of the 4x100m relay team that came out triumphs.

The youngster will now hope to emulate these performances at the WP High Schools Championships.

Elitha, from Bellville, said her performances for the rest of season.

“My performances this season have been good but there’s always room for improvement. I expect great things to happen at the WP had set the tone the track and fiel High Schools Championships. I am excited and can’t wait to see how I will do. Club meets have helped me mentally and physically,” said Elitha, who competed for the first time at the SA High Schools Championships and the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Youth and Junior Championships last year. She finished in fifth place in the girls U18 400m hurdles event final at the ASA Youth and Junior Championships.

“Every year my goal is to do better than the previous season. I was happy about my performances last year because all the hard work paid off,” she said.

Elitha is a fan of the South African 100m hurdles record holder Rikenette Steenkamp.

Last year the four-time national 100m hurdles champion broke the SA record clocking 12.91 seconds at a meet in the Czech Republic.

A few weeks later, Steenkamp shattered her record to stop the clock at 12.81 seconds.

“She has a great technique and is always positive,” she said.

On the academic front, Elitha plans to study financial accounting at Stellenbosch University next year.

Meanwhile, Luke Davids showed who is the boss in the boys U19 100m and 200m sprints to take the gold medals.

Malibu High School’s Laure Byman had a good outing taking first and third position in the girls’ U19 100m and 400m sprints events, respectively.

Brackenfell High School’s Elitha Sylvester was in a class of her own at the Northern Zone High Schools Championships.