Category: Athletics

Congratulations to Union High School, Graaff-Reinet juniors 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗵 𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 and 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 on their well-deserved selection for the Sarah Baartman Athletics Team following an impressive performance at the recent athletics day held at the Westbourne Oval in Gqeberha!

𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺, 8 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶!

The annual Interschools Athletics took place on Thursday, 30 January 2025 at Hoër Volkskool.  It was a warm afternoon with good competition and excellent participation from both schools.

Congratulations to Xavier Barlow, whose exceptional abilities earned him the title of Victor Ludorum at the Interschools athletics.  Xavier clinched 1^st place in both the Long Jump (6, 24 m) and 200 m (25,55 s) for Boys u19.  He also achieved 2^nd places in the 100 m and High Jump

The girls didn’t stand back and Farronique Booysen achieved two 1^st places – in the Long Jump and 100 m for Girls u19.

The following learners must also be congratulated on their first places:

N Murray: 800 m (Girls u/15)
A Mayekiso: Shotput (Girls U/16)
J van Den Berg: 400 m (Boys U/19)
A Neill: 1 500 m (Boys U/19)
B Lemke: 800 m (Boys U/19)
Q Solomon: High Jump (Boys U16)
L Makaula: 200 m (Boys U/16)
M Botha: 400 m (Girls U/19 – she took part in the u19 age group although she is u15)
C Hoffman: 200 m (Girls U/19 – she took part in the u19 age group although she is u15)

Union led the way at the beginning of the event but unfortunately Volkskool secured a win with 860 points against Union’s 757 points.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to the following Union High School junior athletes whose stellar performance at yesterday’s zonal athletics meet for primary schools at the Botanics Sports Grounds, has seen them qualify for the next round of athletics to be held at the Westbourne Oval in Gqeberha on Saturday, 9 February:

• Girls u/11 High Jump: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗵 𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿
• Girls u/13 800m: 𝗛𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗲
• Girls u/13 High Jump: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮-𝗞𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘇𝗮 & 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲
• Boys u/13 Shot Put: 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀

The annual 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗦 𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗦 event between the Union Schools and Laer Volkskool was held during the month of October.

In perfect weather conditions, our beautiful school fields were a hive of activity where the athletes were involved in various track and field events, such as long jump, high jump, shot put, sprints, middle-distance running and relays.

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱.

All participants need to be commended on their good sportsmanship throughout the day, which ensured that an enjoyable event could take place. 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘓𝘢𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘴𝘬𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to the athletes representing Union for clinching the overall victory with a score of 863, surpassing Volkskool’s score of 802.

During the meeting 14 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 were set, of which 7 were by Union athletes. The new records are as follows:

• Boys u/7 60m: Aiden van der Walt (UNION) – 10.00s (previous record: 10.10s)
• Boys u/13 1500m: Jarrod Gerber (LVS) – 5:03.65 (previous record: 5:24.56)
• Boys u/12 1200m: Lukhona Bulembu (UNION) – 4:11.78 (previous record: 4:20.68)
• Girls u/10 High Jump: Leah Abader (UNION) – 1.07m (previous record: 1.05m)
• Boys u/7 80m: Kainon Swartz (UNION) – 13.41s (previous record: 13.61s)
• Girls u/11 80m: Janike van Zyl (LVS) – 11.45s (previous record: 12.11s)
• Boys u/13 Long Jump: Jordan Maritz (UNION) – 4.89m (previous record: 4.57m)
• Girls u/11 100m: Janike van Zyl (LVS) – 14.28s (previous record: 14.44s)
• Boys u/13 800m: Jarrod Gerber (LVS) – 2:25.26 (previous record: 2:37.38)
• Boys u/10 Long Jump: Jacobus Wolfaardt (LVS) – 4.11m (previous record: 3.84m)
• Boys u/12 Shot Put: Dante Mills (UNION) – 9.78m (previous record: 9.51m)
• Boys u/11 High Jump: Kobus Lotter (LVS) – 1.27m (previous record: 1.25m)
• Boys u/12 Long Jump: JP Lombard (LVS) – 4.94m (previous record: 4.17m)
• Boys u/13 High Jump: Jordan Maritz (UNION) – 1.42m (previous record: 1.38m)

Saturday, 10 February, saw several Union High School, Graaff-Reinet athletes showcasing their skills across various disciplines at the Beyers Naudé High School Athletics Meet held at Hoër Volkskool, with their stellar performances earning several of them the opportunity to represent the Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality at the upcoming Sarah Baartman Athletics Meet in Gqeberha, planned for Wednesday, 21 February.

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 to:

• 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗴, who secured an impressive 3rd place in the Boys u/16 Shotput category, while 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, sprinted his way to a 2nd place finish in the Boys u/16 100m race.

• In the field events, 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿’s prowess in the Girls u/14 Discus event earned her a well-deserved 2nd place. 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗹, a force to be reckoned with in the Boys u/19 Shotput, claimed the 2nd place spot, while 𝗫𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼𝘄 showcased his impressive jumping abilities, securing 2nd place in the Boys u/17 Long Jump.

• 𝗗𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱𝗼, a versatile athlete, showcased his skills in both the Boys u/19 High Jump and Long Jump events. With a 3rd place finish in High Jump and a 2nd place finish in Long Jump, Kivedo left his mark as a true competitor to watch.

• The Girls u/19 category saw outstanding performances from 𝗖𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗮𝗵-𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴, who claimed 1st place in Discus and 3rd place in Shotput. 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗮 dominated the Girls u/16 Shotput event, securing a well-deserved 1st place finish. 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 showed good technique in the Boys u/17 Shotput, earning him 1st place in his category.

• 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗿, a rising star in the Girls 16 division, secured 1st place in Girls u/16 High Jump and a 2nd place in Long Jump, while 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗶 𝗞𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘇𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻 claimed 2nd place in the Girls u/19 Shotput and 1st place in Javelin.

As a result of their outstanding performances, 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗿 (Girls u/17 High Jump), 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 (Boys u/17 Shotput), 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗹 (Boys u/19 Shotput) and 𝗗𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱𝗼 (Boys u/19 Long Jump) have been selected to progress to the next round.

𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴’ 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬’𝘴 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘩 𝘉𝘢𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵.

Union High School, Graaff-Reinet extends a big word of 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to the following athletes who have been selected to represent the Graaff-Reinet High Schools’ CMC Athletics Team at the Sarah Baartman Athletics Meet being held at the Oval in Gqeberha on Thursday, 16 February:

• Anna Bouwer (Girls u/15 shot put)
• Musa Zweni (Girls u/19 shot put, discus, javelin)
• Qhama Solomon (Boys u/14 high jump, long jump)
• Luvela Makaula (Boys u/14 400m)
• Liso Booi (Boys u/15 400m)
• Peter-Daniel Clegg (Boys u/15 shot put)
• Nangawethu Macanda (Boys u/17 shot put)
• Kyle Liebenberg (Boys u/17 shot put)
• Xavier Barlow (Boys u/17 long jump)
• Jayden Odendaal (Boys u/17 shot put)
• Joshua Swartland (Boys u/19 100m)

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰ë𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘴𝘬𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺, 4 𝘍𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 30 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 13 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥, 8 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 13 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘻𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭.

Erin Mitchell made the school very proud with her recent participation in the Provincial High School Athletics Championships.

Athletes from all seven mega districts: Alfred Nzo, Amathole, Sarah Baartman, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and OR Tambo attended the event in Cradock on Friday, 6 March, to compete for a place in the Eastern Cape Provincial team that will compete in the upcoming National Championships.

Erin participated in the Girls u/17 High Jump event where she placed 6th overall.