Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 121, August 2019 | Page 63

TRACK & FIELD
Making Hay on
the World Stage
Chederick van Wyk
Gardeo
Isaacs
Sokwakhana
‘Soks’ Zazini
O
Milton is clearly having the best season of his short
career thus far - all of his best times, ranging from
1500m to the half marathon, have come in 2019!
He’s also collected a number of titles, wins and
podiums along the way. In the lead-up to winning
the global WUG 10,000m title, Milton won the SA
Student Champs 10,000m title in April with a huge
PB of 28:42.99. Three weeks later he was third in the
SA Senior Champs 10,000m, when Philane Buthelezi
dictated the race to claim the title in 29:21.71 ahead
of Reghan Magwai (29:46.64) and Milton (29:57.77).
Despite having already run six half marathons and
clocked a 62:16, Milton’s immediate future lies on the
track, but the long term future is very much on the
road. In that regard, it would seem that his running
career is following a similar path to that of his mentor
and inspiration, Stephen Mokoka.
Quiet Champion
When not burning up the track or the roads, Milton is
often to be found behind the consol of his PlayStation,
where he is a huge FIFA fan. “It is fun. It takes my
mind off my racing and my studies, so it is a good
way to unwind.” Of course, the big focus is his
studies, where he is currently in the second year of a
four-year course that will see him earn a Diploma in
Marketing, Supply Chain and Sport Management.
A level head on a fierce competitor is a deadly
combination, and there is no doubt that Milton has a
tremendous future ahead of him, now with boosted
confidence after winning the Student Games title. He
is one of a group of youngsters in SA that are hungrily
looking to take over the mantle of middle distance and
long distance leadership from the likes of Stephen
Mokoka and Elroy Gelant, and his remarkable
progress this year gives hope for a big future for the
23-year-old.
ver and above the gold medal that Milton Kekana won in the men’s 10,000m at the World
University Games in July, Team South Africa also brought home a number of other medals,
showing that there is great promise for the future of the sport in SA.
Chederick van Wyk, one of South Africa’s brightest sprinting prospects, came away with the silver
medal in the men’s 100m, with a season’s best of 10.23 seconds. His 200m was still more impressive,
as he bagged another silver with a PB of 20.44. Silver also came in the men’s 400m hurdlers, where
Sokwakhana ‘Soks’ Zazini took almost half a second off his best to go under 49 seconds for the first
time in his career. His 48.73 is also an Africa Junior Record.
Gardeo Isaacs was fourth in the men’s 400m, while Rantso Mokopane and Ashley Smith finished
second and third respectively in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, with Rantso running a lifetime best of
8:30.37 and Ashley also improving his best to 8:33.60.
World Junior High Jump Champion, Breyton Poole and fellow SA jumper Mpho Links were a bit below
their best, having to settle for fourth and fifth with jumps of 2.21m.
The standout performer amongst the SA women was World Under-20 400m Hurdles Champion, Zeney
van der Walt. Still a junior athlete, she bagged silver in her favourite event, clocking 55.73 and posting
a World Junior lead for the year thus far. She is a huge talent for the future and a shining light in the
women’s sport, but it is a concern that South Africa is not producing more female athletes who make
finals and win medals, not just at student level, but specifically at senior level, especially given the recent
success of our athletes at junior level on the world stage.
Amongst the rest of the South African women participating in Naples, Tamzin Thomas made it to the
semi-final rounds in the 100m and 200m, but Niene Muller was unable to get to the semi-finals in the
800m. Some good news is that Carina Viljoen finished sixth in the 1500m, not too far off her best, but
Aynslee van Graan was more than a minute off her best as she came home 15 th in the 5000m. Rogail
Joseph was eighth in the women’s 400m hurdles, also some way off her best.
Rantso
Mokopane
Ashley Smith
Zeney van der Walt
63