The country’s future stars won a total of 47 medals at the track and field Southern Region Youth Championships in Pretoria at the weekend.
The medal breakdown was 26 gold,17 silver and four bronze medals. Athletes from 11 Southern Region countries participated in the Championships.
Several good performances were seen as the young athletes went through their paces ahead of the IAAF World Championships which will take place in July in Bressanone, Italy.
It was especially in the field events that South Africa’s young athletes showed that their preparations for Bressanone are well under way and they produced some excellent performances.The discus for boys and girls produced two outstanding performances. Simone Meyer, promising young KwaZulu-Natal athlete, had a career best throw of 50.15m to surpass the 50 metre mark for the first time and annex the gold medal in the girls’ event.
In the boys’ event, Charl Grobler unleashed a career best throw of 58.04m to better his previous best by more than a metre.
Donovan Stebbing and Frans Schutte had an epic duel in the boys’ shot put with Stebbing taking the gold medal with a throw of 19,.5m to Schutte’s 19.47m. Dean Goosen won the gold medal in the javelin with a distance of 70,80m.
On the track the 110m hurdles for boys and the 100m hurdles for girls produced personal bests for three athletes. Hannes Greyling , who was unfortunate to be disqualified in the 110m hurdles event at  SA Youth Championships, walked away with the gold medal in a personal best time of 13.84 secs with Werner Pretorius second in a  personal best of 13,88 secs and SA Champion Layne Scheffers finished third in 14.15sec.
In the girls 100m hurdles event Rikenettte Steenkamp ran away from the opposition to win the gold medal in a best  of 13.73sec.
100m 1. Richmond Collins (RSA) 10.50 secs; 2. Gideon Trotter (RSA) 10.56secs 3. Yateya Kambepera (BOT)  10.79secs
200m 1. Sean De Klerk (RSA)  21:55secs;2. Mzwandile Qashani (RSA) 22.01secS 3. Aldo Lutchum (MRI) 22.28 secs
400m 1. Jacques De Swart (RSA)  47.92secs; 2. MC Kruger (RSA)  48.49secs 3. Jonathan Bardotier (MRI) 49.77secs
800m 1. Michael Van Aswegen (RSA)  1:51.93; 2. Rynhardt Van Rensburg (RSA)  1:52.29secs 3. Otladisa Segosebe (BOT)  1:53.05.
1500m 1. Siyabonga Derison (RSA) 4:02.13 taking first position;2.  Tebogo Khanye (RSA)   4:03.72secs 3. Verner Nghipopi (NAM) 4:04.02
3000m 1. Mfumaneko Fadane (RSA) 8:35.41secs, 2.Ramagapu Ditiro (BOT) 8:36.96secs 3.  Rethabile Molefi (LES) 8:49.56sec
Shot Put 1.Donovan Stebbing (RSA)  19.65m;2.  Frans Schutte (RSA)  19.19m; 3. Paul Willemse (NAM) 16.06m
High Jump 1.  Rickus Kok (RSA)  2.05m; 2. Brondon Nursimloo (MRI) 1.95m 3. Simaata Dausab (NAM) 1.85m
Triple Jump 1.  Daren Paul (MRI) 14.32m;2. Juvencio Mechaieie (MOZ)  12.59m
Long Jump 1. Stefan Brits (RSA)  7.14m; 2. Lionel Abrahams (RSA)  7.07m; 3. Simaata Dausab (NAM)  6.66m
Javelin 1. Dean Goosen(RSA)  70.80m,  Jasper Engelbrecht (NAM)  55.45m
110m Hurdles 1. Hannes Greyling (RSA) 13.84secs; 2. Werner Pretorius (RSA)  13.88 secs; 3.  Layne Scheffers (RSA)  14.15secs
400m Hurdles 1. Shaun Van Wyk (RSA)  54.92secs; 2. Katlego Lenkopang (BOT) 55.97secs 3. Damien Edouard (MRI)  57.79 secs
Discus 1. Charl Grobler (RSA)  58.04m ;2. Paul Willemse (NAM)  48.34m
2000m steeplechase 1. Benjamin Molehe (RSA)  6:08.80 ; 2.  Olwethu Mhlaba (RSA)  6:15.60
Medley Relay 1. South Africa 1:56.07; 2. Mauritius 1:58.73 ; 3. Botswana  2:01.59.
Girls’ finals:
100m 1. Jade Thiele (RSA)  12.05 ; 2.  Zanri Van Der Merwe (RSA) 12.05secs; 3. Jolene Jacobs (NAM)  12.78sec
200m 1.  Justine Palframan (RSA) 24.01secs; 2. Lungo Matlhako (BOT) 24.91secs 3. Phumlile Ndzinisa (SWZ)  25.68sec
400m 1. Justine Palframan (RSA) 55.02secs; 2. Anri Steyn  55,17secs ; 3. Sokhuluhle Mlalazi (ZIM) 57.09sec
800m 1.  Klaudia Moses (NAM) 2:12.27secs; 2. Julia Hanjene (NAM)2:12.86secs ; 3. Happiness Mkhize  2:13.82sec
1500m 1. Klaudia Moses (NAM)  4:37.00secs; 2. Neheng Katala (LES) 4:38.91secs ; 3. Lineo Lempe (LES)  4:40.19sec
3000m 1. Klaudia Moses (NAM) 9:47.27secs; 2. Sylvia Tsetlanyane (RSA) 10:01.39secs ; 3. Thandiwe Nyathi (ZIM)  10.06.04sec
Javelin 1.  Liezel De Swart (RSA)  45.38m; 2. Leandri Swiegers (RSA) 43.88m; 3. Ruvimbo Musere (ZIM) 23.30m
Shot Put 1. Charlene Engelbrecht (NAM) 11.33m, 2. Priscilla Motsi (ZIM) 9.27m; 3. Ruvimbo Musere (ZIM) 8.43m
High Jump 1.June Roelofse (RSA)  1.70m; 2. Ruvimbo Musere (ZIM) 1.65m; 3.  Corlia Kruger (NAM)  1.60m
Long Jump 1. Zanri Van Der Merwe (RSA) 5.77m; 2.  Corlia Kruger (NAM)  5.21m; 3. Arneta Boene (MOZ)  4.86m
Triple Jump 1. Ambre Defalbaire (MRI)  11.99m; 2.  Luchelle Prinsloo (RSA)  11.92m; 3. Danielle Erwee (RSA)  10.90m
100m Hurdles 1. Rikinette Steenkamp (RSA) 13.73secs; 2.  Mihandra Dorfling (RSA)  14.65secs; 3. Silvia Panugana (MOZ)  15.95sec
400m Hurdles 1. Orabile Babolai (BOT)  62.62secs; 2. Tania Ras (RSA)  62.85secs ; 3. Melissa Harmse (RSA)  63.30sec
Discus 1.  Simone Meyer (RSA)  50.15m; 2. Suriette Botha (RSA) 44.87m; 3.  Charlene Engelbrecht (NAM) 36.08m
Medley Relay 1. South Africa  2:14.30, 2. Botswana  2:18.19; 3. Namibia  2:22.51
Hammer 1. Annemie smith (RSA)  51.47m