It’s all systems go for the annual MTBS quadrangular athletics meet between DF Malan, Stellenberg, Tygerberg and Bellville high schools, at the Green Point Athletics Stadium, on Friday February 3. This will be an opportunity for DF Malan High School star hurdler, Marga van der Linde,14, to show who is boss.
For Marga, a Grade 9 pupil, it will be about making an impression when she defends her 90m and 300m hurdles titles and to get one over rivals Stellenberg, who have won the meet for the past four consecutive years.
DF Malan has dominated the MTBS meeting since its inception in 1994 but last won the competition in 2012.
Also standing in their way will be Bellville and Tygerberg as they have been giving the school a run for their money in recent years.
Already an accomplished athlete while at primary school, Marga has represented the Western Cape at national school competitions for the past three years. She is now on a mission to qualify for her fourth national championships and to be crowned champion.
Marga, a member of Bellville Athletics Club, also made the finals of the Athletics South Africa sub-youth championships, in Bloemfontein, last year.
Marga said she is all geared up and hopes to do better than last year after she broke the previous MTBS girls’ under-14 hurdles record of 13.87s, clocking13.55s.
She also hopes to beat her personal best of 13.50s and 44.61s in the 90m and 300m events that she achieved at last year’s South African high schools’ championships, in Johannesburg.
“Stellenberg are good but we will get one over them. We are motivated, pumped up and there is a positive vibe in the athletics camp.
“My main goals are to make the top three at the SA school championships and Athletics South Africa youth championships,” she said.
Marga credits head of athletics and manager of the high performance centre at the school, Alroy Dixon, for the energy he brings to the athletics team.
“He always keeps us motivated and interactive with the athletes. He has brought the spirit back to DF Malan,” she said.
The soft-spoken athlete is a fan of club teammate, Antonio Alkana a semi-finalists in the men’s 110m hurdles at last year’s Rio Olympics.
“I heard he was not among the top athletes at high school but stepped up a gear once he matriculated and look where he is today.
“He is a real role model and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps,” she said.
Dixon, who took over as head of athletics at the school in June last year, said his goal is to improve the school performance from last year, after they finished in third place at last year’s MTBS.
“We are trying to create a bigger pool of participating athletes, so that we can better the identification of athletes for certain events.
Most importantly we try to make most children active and ensure they have fun doing it,” he said.
Marga’s father, Leendert, said his daughter has a great sense of humour and is always helpful.”
“In terms of athletics she is disciplined and determined. She has improved a lot since she first started and being tall has also helped her.
“I would like to see her represent South Africa as she is getting better every year,” he said.
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