MiWay Warriors shine at athletics event
The team did well and walked away with three first places and four second and two third-place finishes.
The MiWay Warriors from Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld High School recently participated in the Soncini Ekhurhuleni Championships held in Germiston.
The team did well and walked away with three first places and four second and two third-place finishes.
Grade Nine learners Courtney Khumalo and team captain Tshimollo Mampheko won gold in the 3 000m and 5 000m racewalks, respectively.
Grade Eight learner Bongile Khoza won gold in the 800m.
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The silver medalists include Grade Nine learners Tinyiko Nkhuna and Oratile Phaka, who won their accolades in the long jump.
Grade Eight learner Thuthukani Phahla took silver in the 800m, and Nobongile Khosa won silver in the 200m and 100m.
Trisha Nhlengu, Mampheko and Vision Chironga won bronze in the long jump, javelin, and 800m, respectively.
With sponsorship by MiWay Insurance, the team has participated in 16 events this year, including league and provincial championships.
Mampheko said the team went through a reshuffle and accepted some new talent.
Speaking about how the team members balance school and athletics, Mampheko said the sponsor checks the athletes’ academic results the year before the sponsorship is activated, allowing them to offer support to the athletes in the form of extra lessons.
“We have had a time when a teacher complained about an athlete’s academic performance in a particular subject.
“We resorted to arranging extra lessons for the affected athlete, but the problem continued, and we had to tell the athlete to take a break from athletics.”
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Explaining how the sponsorship with MiWay came about, Mampheko said the insurance company had a delegate who scouted athletes in the Greater Kempton Park cross-country season, resulting in them choosing nine athletes from Sir Pierre Van Reyneveld.
MiWay then contacted coaches Mariet Geyer, Portia Dube and Tlaiso Mampheko, all Sir Pierre teachers, and told them to add six more athletes they could sponsor.
The Warriors await the Soncini Cohesion Games Provincial Championships, which will take place on October 26 and 27.
The team will also participate in the University of Johannesburg Summer Challenge on November 30.
