SA schools junior flyer trying to reach the next school

It’s all systems go for the annual 4M athletics meet between Paarl, Rhenish, Bloemhof and La Rochelle girls’ high schools competing, at the Dal Josaphat Athletics Stadium, in Paarl, on Thursday, February 16.

This will be an opportunity for Panorama’s Lene Duncan, 16, Paarl Girls’ star long jumper, to defend the title that she won last year and to get one over La Rochelle Girls’ who are current champions.

However, also standing in the way are Bloemhof and Rhenish Girls’ who will be no walk-overs.

Also, Lene first has to take care of business at the Prestige athletics meet with Paarl and Bloemhof Girls’ , Paarl Boys’, Paul Roos and Paarl Gimnasium high schools at the Dal Josaphat Athletics Stadium, on Friday, February 3.

Lene, a member of Bellville Athletics Club, will go into these athletics meets full of confidence after she came second and fourth in the girls’ under-17 long jump and 100m sprints, at the Stellenberg High School invitational meet, last weekend.

She also came first and second, in the girls’ under-17 long jump and 100m sprints, respectively, at Paarl Boys’ High School invitational meet, at the weekend.

Last year, the former Bellville High School pupil had a season to remember after she was crowned South African High School’s champion, with a personal best of 5.62m, in the girls’ under-17 long jump, in Bloemfontein.

She then went on to finish in second place, with a distance of 5.32m, at the Athletics South Africa youth championships, in Johannesburg.

The youngster started last season with a bang, coming first at the 4M inter-schools athletics meet, Boland High School Athletics Championships and Western Cape High School Athletics Championships before being crowned national champion in the girls’ under-17 long jump.

She is now on a mission to come first at the SA schools’ champs and at the ASA youth champs as well as qualify for the African Youth Championships, World Youth Championships and Commonwealth Youth Championships, later this year.

Lene says she is happy with her performance so far but believes there is still room for improvement.

“As the season goes on, my performances will improve. The pre-season events have helped me point out what I still need to work and improve on.

“I also need to be more consistent and injury free because I have a big year in front of me with regards to national and international competitions,” said Lene, whose fondest memory on the track and field was last year’s national school competition.

“The feeling I got inside me, when I won school nationals and the look on my parents Mark and Michelle’s faces, knowing that all my long hours of training and injuries that came along with it, made everything worth it,” she said.

The former Monte Vista Primary School pupil credits her father as having had the biggest impact in her athletics career.

“A few years ago, my father took me to the athletics track because he wanted me to go jogging, and I was not a fan of track and field at the time.

“He told me, “One day, you are going to thank me,” and I used to think what he was trying to say. But, as I got older, I realised what he meant and started to enjoy the sport,” she said.