Rain Disrupts Sth Africans

Rain halts Athletics meet

Posted on 03 March 2006 - 22:18

Torrential rain brought the sixth and final ASA Champions Challenge athletics meeting to an abrupt end at Pilditch Stadium on Friday night and the SA athletes who are on their way to the Commonwealth Games in Australia on Sunday did not get the send-off they were hoping for.
Dangerous lightning led to all the officials and athletes being called off the ground and with the track almost under water, the meeting was called off after 13 of the 32 scheduled events had taken place.

Before the heavy rain the meeting produced a few excellent performances by athletes who have not been selected to go to Melbourne.

Janet Wienand, who had just recovered from a serious back injury, won the 400 metres hurdles with an excellent personal best time of 56.01 sec, the sixth fastest by any SA woman.

Surita Febbraio, the SA champion who will represent South Africa in the Games, did not take part. Wienand, a student at North West University in Potchefstroom, bettered her own record by more than a full second.

The 100 metres for men also produced a major surprise when the Tuks runner, Hannes Dreyer, defeated the outright favourite, Sherwin Vries, by 0.03 sec in 10.36 sec, another personal best.

Leigh Julius finished third while three more runners made it extremely difficult for the officials to split. All three were credited with times of 10.46.

Fanie Jacobs of Stellenbosch won the pole vault with a seasonal best of 5.40m while Alwyn Myburgh, after a bad start, won the 400m hurdles in 49.37 sec.

In this race the Natalian, Pieter Koekemoer, had a great race and nearly caught Myburgh at the finish. Koekemoer was rewarded with a huge personal best of 49.44 sec, 0.55 sec faster than his previous best set also at Pretoria a month prior.

Betty Heidler, of Germany, produced a world class performance in the hammer event when she set a South African All Comers record of 70.78m in the opening round.

The previous mark of 66.39m was set by Katalin Divos of Hungary in Cape Town six years ago.

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE ATHLETICS RESULTS

Results of the Athletics South Africa Champions Challenge athletics meeting in Pretoria on Friday night:

Men
100m (0.2) 1 Hannes Dreyer LibN 10.36, 2 Sherwin Vries LibN 10.39, 3 Leigh Julius MrPNMMU 10.41, 4 Jean du Randt MrPUJ 10.46, 5 Christian Krone Tuks 10.46, Lee-Roy Newton FastF 10.46.

100m (EAD Disabled) 1 Hilton Langenhoven Maties 11.23, 2 David Roos Ind 11.47, 3 Dominique Vogel Ind 15.36, 4 Thukuiswa Mlangiso Ind 16.70.

400m (B Race) 1 Sidwell Mithi AbsaUJ 46.20, 2 Jacob Ramokoka BAK 47.10, 3 Oganeditse Moseki BOT 47.14.

400mH 1 Alwyn Myburgh MrP 49.37, 2 Pieter Koekemoer UKZN 49.44, 3 Ockert Cilliers MrPPuk 51.66.

Pole Vault 1 Fanie Jacobs Maties 5.40, 2 Brent Howell Bell 4/20, 3 Jacques Groenewald Tuks 4.00. Hammer 1 Chris Harmse MrP 76.62, 2 Steve Harpan GER 70.72, 3 Johan Harmse MrPPtuk 56.73.

Women
100m (0.7) 1 Geraldine Pillay LibN 10.43, 2 Wendy Seegers MrPUJ 11.76, 3 Thandi Vilakazi AbsaUJ 11.95.

400m 1 Amantle Montsho BOT 53.75, 2 Dominique Koster AbsaUJ 54.01, 3 Tsholofelo Selemela BAK 54.63, 4 Elmie Hugo UFS 55.11. 400mH 1 Janet Wienand MrPPuk 56.01, 2 Shona Hutchinbson FastF 58.60, 3 Kerryn Hulsen FastF 59.61

High Jump 1 Anika Smit MrPPuk 1.88, 2 Rene van der Merwe Tuks 1.80, 3 Tertia Stander Boksb 1.65. Long Jump 1 Karin Mey Tuks 6.28, 2 Leandie Maritz AbsaUJ 5.68, 3 Alicia Sauer RAC 5.56.

Hammer 1 Betty Heidler GER 70.78 (SA Allcomers record), 2 Kathrin Klaas GER 68.92, 3 Andrea Buntjes GER 64.13, 4 Tanya Treurnicht Kem 45.70.