The 2024 USSA Track & Field Champs has concluded. This is an opportunity for us to look back at our overall performance.

A big congratulations to our 14 athletes who have proudly defended our UCT colours in their specific events. Their hard work helped us finish 13th out of 19 universities that participated.

This performance improved our current standing by two points higher compared to the 2022 USSA T&F Champs. We managed to accumulate a total of 22 points (overall), 10 points better than last year.

We secured a bronze medal, thanks to our athlete, Katlego Manamela who demonstrated outstanding performance in the men’s senior decathlon. Behind him, Chulumanco Peter and Seth Kleynhans completed the table, and all together bagged a total of 15 points for UCT.

In the women’s side, Usanda Mtwazi gave it her all in the Heptathlon events and managed to get 3 points for the team. In the Shotput category, Alexander von der Walt finished 5th and managed to grab a total of 4 points for the team.

Several other athletes gave their best and proudly defended our UCT colours despite falling short of the finals.

In the men’s 400m, Tait Dylan and Cody Tebutt fell to the doors of the semi-finals and only completed the heats with respective times of 53.87 and 52.57. Similarly, in the men’s 100m event, our three athletes, Bryce Reid, Excellence Mohale, and Gobonole Babe with respective times of 11.24, 11.59, and 11.32 seconds failed to advance to the semi-finals.

In the 200m, despite breaking his PB by clocking 23.13, Gobonole Babe couldn’t pass the heats. Excellence Mohale and Bryce Reid clocked 24.88 and 23.50 which was not enough to get them through the semi-finals.

In the 800m, Tait Dylan clocked a time of 2:19:47 not enough to pass the heats. In the 5000-meter final, Simon Short clocked a final time of 17:36 seconds against a strong wind.

Our field athlete, Karabo Kambikambi competed in the women’s discus throw and set a distance of 21.25m.

As we reflect on the 2024 USSA T&F Champs, it's essential to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated coach, Daniel Parsons whose guidance and support have been instrumental in our journey this season. His unwavering commitment to our team's development and success has not gone unnoticed, and we are incredibly grateful for his tireless efforts.

Looking ahead, we approach the coming season with optimism and determination. While we celebrate the achievements of our athletes and the progress we've made, we also acknowledge the areas where we can improve. With continued hard work, perseverance, and the guidance of our coach, we are confident that we will build upon our successes and strive for even greater heights in the future.

Together, as a team, we remain united in our pursuit of excellence, both on and off the field. With gratitude in our hearts and optimism in our spirits, we eagerly anticipate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

From these results we envisage a bright and promising future for UCT Athletics, thanks to the dedication that our athletes have put in this year’s USSA T&F Champs.