Maties high jumper Keagan Fourie caused great excitement in the Coetzenburg stadium on Saturday when he broke a 45-year-old Boland record at the 2016 Boland Senior and Combined Events Championships.
Fourie cleared 2.20m and in doing so improved on the oldest standing Boland record. The record (2.18m) was set by Emile Roussouw in Pretoria on 12 April 1971.
Matie athletes completely dominated the championships and now hold 29 Boland titles. Athletes attempted to qualify for the Boland Senior Team to the 2016 ASA Senior Championships that will take place at Coetzenburg from 15 to 16 April 2016.
Ten Matie athletes, including Fourie, achieved qualifying times or distances for the Boland team. They are Justine Palframan (200m and 400m), Mandie Brandt (800m), Jean-Maré Senekal (400m hurdles), Samantha Pretorius (long jump), Karin le Roux (hammer throw), Nienka du Toit (heptathlon), Shaun de Jager (400m), Cheyne Rahme (pole vault) and Victor Hogan (discus).
De Jager also won the 100m and 200m events.
The preliminary Boland Senior team to the 2016 ASA Senior Championships will be announced on Wednesday 16 March 2016.
Several masters athletes also participated in the event and one of them, Neal Bredeveldt from Paarl Athletics Club, broke the SA age group record (55-59 years) in the high jump after clearing 1.70m. He also holds the age group record (50-54 years) at 1.72m.
- It was a busy weekend for Paralympic athlete Ilse Hayes (left). On Friday, she was named the Western Cape Sportswoman of the year with a disability for 2016. On Saturday, she became Boland champion in the 100m for women. She is visually impaired.
