NATIONAL - Athletics South Western Ditricts (SWD) sent 10 athletes to compete at the Athletics SA Senior Championships held at the Coetzenburg Centre in Stellenbosch from 16 to 18 April.
Of the 10 athletes registered, two competed in senior categories, while the remaining eight were in the U16, U18 and U20 divisions.
Prior to the competition, five athletes had to withdraw due to some unfortunate injuries.
Despite these setbacks, Athletics SWD secured one podium finish. Walter van Rensburg earned bronze in the men's U20 shot put with a throw of 16.27m.
In the field events, Mieke Coetzee finished fourth in the women's U20 hammer throw with a distance of 50.86m, while Anja Snyders placed eighth with 44.39m in the same event.
On the track, Jandri Snyders finished ninth in the senior women's 5 000m in a time of 17:31.69. Hanli Bouwers placed 11th in the same event, clocking 18:04.02.
Athletics SWD ended the championships ranked 12th out of 17 provinces, bringing the track and field season to a close. Its executive board extended its appreciation to all the athletes, coaches, technical officials, schools and parents for their commitment and support throughout the season.
The attention now turns to the upcoming cross-country season, which will begin at Olympia School in Pacaltsdorp on Saturday 9 May. Athletes aged 8 to 80 and older are invited to participate.
The season will feature seven leagues across the SWD region, followed by the Athletics SWD and schools championships. A team will then be selected to represent the region at the national championships in Pretoria in September.
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