Triumph for High School Superstars. High school athletes across the north of South Africa left it all on the track at Curro’s Podium Athletics North athletics meeting. This High-voltage meeting lit up Pretoria’s Pilditch Stadium on Wednesday, 27 September 2023.

Flying the flag for the independent school group Curro Holdings, was Curro Hazeldean who played host to the event. Since launching earlier this year, Curro’s Podium Athletics event has been hailed as the most prestigious high school athletics event in Southern Africa. The Northern leg was undoubtedly nothing short of spectacular.

More than 1,600 of the region’s most talented and ambitious young athletes from 52 schools took part. Despite challenging weather conditions, tired legs and aching muscles, young superstars delivered a thrilling athletic performance. Heavy rain persisted throughout the day, particularly intensifying towards the end. This resulted in the official prize-giving ceremony being cancelled. However, an inspiring opening ceremony, led by Curro CEO, Cobus Loubser, set the tone for the event. It also emphasised the resilience and determination of the young athletes.

Racing for Excellence

In a display of sheer dominance, athletes from Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool in Pretoria, delivered an astonishing track and field performance, seizing victory in both the boys’ and girls’ team competitions. Die Hoërskool Menlopark and Curro Hazeldean High School rounded out the top three schools, cementing their places amongst the northern elite.

Pierre le Roux, the Executive Head at Curro Hazeldean, expressed his pride and admiration for the athletes. “A huge congratulations to all the young sporting talents who took part in the second Curro Podium Athletics meeting. Pulling off an event of this magnitude showcases Curro’s dedication to nurturing emerging sporting talent in South Africa and the incredible turnout and support we have received underscores the importance of events like this within the athletic community,” he said.

Dedication of coaches

Curro Hazeldean’s successes are especially noteworthy. The boys’ team secured a well-deserved second place, and surpassing even the reigning champions, Die Hoërskool Menlopark had clinched the February 2023 title. “This achievement highlights the outstanding dedication of the coaches and the relentless training regimen of our athletes,” adds Le Roux.

The second-place finish notably contributed to the exceptional improvement of the girls’ team from their previous performance in February, showcasing the school’s commitment to enhancing both the boys’ and girls’ overall athletic performance.

Another worthy mention goes to Chris Swanepoel and Megan Nieman from Die Hoërskool Menlopark, alongside Hencu Lamberts from Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Matod Ndou from Curro Hazeldean High School who all achieved a perfect score of 1000 points on the ASA points system.

The complete list of winners is included below:

Team winners

School	Competition	Position	ASA Points
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool	Best Boys Team	1st	19 842
Curro Hazeldean High School	Best Boys Team	2nd	19 665
Die Hoërskool Menlopark	Best Boys Team	3rd	19 465

Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool	Best Girls Team	1st	20 180
Die Hoërskool Menlopark	Best Girls Team	2nd	19 895
Hoërskool Noordheuwel	Best Girls Team	3rd	18 911

Die Hoërskool Menlopark	Best Combined Team	1st	39 360
Curro Hazeldean High School	Best Combined Team	2nd	37 681
Hoërskool Noordheuwel	Best Combined Team	3rd	36 493

Individual trophy winners:

Athlete	Competition	School	Place	ASA Points
Chris Swanepoel	Best Jnr Boy Field Athlete	Die Hoërskool Menlopark	Discus	1000
Merlé Janse van Rensburg	Best Jnr Girl Field Athlete	Die Hoërskool Menlopark	Discus	911
Phenyo Miyen	Best Jnr Boy Track Athlete	Tuks Sports School	100m Hurdles	936
Megan Nieman	Best Jnr Girl Track Athlete	Die Hoërskool Menlopark	300m Hurdles	1000
Hencu Lamberts	Best Snr Boy Field Athlete	Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool	Shotput	1000
Mignon la Grange	Best Jnr Girl Field Athlete	Randburg Hoërskool	Shotput	945
Matodz Ndou	Best Snr Boy Track Athlete	Curro Hazeldean High School	400m Hurdles	1000
Tumi Ramokgopa	Best Snr Girl Track Athlete	Prestige College	100m Hurdles	953

The Curro Podium Athletics North competition has earned the stamp of approval from Athletics SA (ASA) and received the full backing of Athletics Gauteng North (AGN). The hugely successful meeting was further underscored by the tremendous turnout and participation, with the under 15 girls’ 200m race alone featuring a staggering 100 entries.

The next leg of the Curro Podium Athletics competition will take place in the south of the country, at Dal Josaphat Stadium in Paarl, Western Cape on Saturday, 28 October 2023, followed by the grand national finale early in 2024.