Gallery
Valda Booysen-Ford was regarded as the top women's middle distance runner in the 1980s.
Mercia Smith gets the much needed sprint training for the 800m against the 1985 champion sprint Shaheeda Majiet.
The diploma bears out Mercia Misroll as a double WPSSSU cap.
Ned Doman Senior Secondary School is located in Athlone. It is the premises from which Belgravia and then Alexander Sinton originated.
Mercia Misroll (married Smith) competed at the highest level at school and senior clubs.
Andre Rhoode and Cornel van Sitters tail Shaun Vester in the bend of the boys open 200m at the Athlone Stadium.
Andre Rhoode of South Peninsula was the athlete of the day after winning the junior men's long jump and triple jump events at a club meeting at the Vygieskraal Stadium.
Dean Daniels, Brian Daniels and Andre Rhoode.
The boys open 400m champion Andre Rhoode in his SASSSA colours.
Andre Rhoode hits the tape in the boys open 400m at Athlone Stadium.
The article describes Andre Rhoode's record-breaking run the in the 400m. He clocked 48,2 seconds at the SASSSA meeting.
The article describes Andre Rhoode's record-breaking run in the boys open 400m. He clocked 48,2 seconds at the SASSSA meeting.
Terrence Smith, in the colours, of the WPSSSU is all ready and packed for the SASSSA champs.
The year 1971, and Terrence Smith of Heathfield High School romps home comfortably in the boys under 15 100m at the old Green Point Track.
In his age group, Terrence Smith was world class. In 1973 at the Green Point Stadium 16-year-old Smith competed in only his second 400m race and smashed the record in a time of 49,3 seconds. This time was to beat even the senior men’s time.
The article and photo of Terrence Smith of Heathfield High School which made the front page of the Cape Herald in 1973.
Carol Khume and Belinda Nkonzo were team mates at the Gugulethu club and at the WP senior schools and clubs level.
Belinda Nkonzo wins the junior ladies 800m race comfortably at the SAAAB meeting at the UWC track in 1990.
Belinda Nkonzo in her Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union (WPSSSU) colours.
Carol Khume and Belinda Nkonzo in their Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union (WPSSSU) colours.
Belinda Nkonzo was capped SAAAB junior ladies sportsperson of the year in 1990, the same year Nelson Mandela was released from prison (11 February).
Belinda Nkonzo matriculated at Alexander Sinton High School, the school with the proudest record in high schools' athletics.
Belinda Nkonzo photographed as a young athlete with the Gugulethu Amateur Athletics Club.
As the youngster in the pack, Toll had to compete against seven times SAAAB 800m champion Jantjie Marthinus, Freddie Damon, Edwin Roems, Hermanus Williams, Mark Jacobs, Harold Adams, Desmond Zibi and Tobias Philander.
Michael Toll, right, was a regular on the podium with Freddie Damon and Jantjie Marthinus of UWC in the senior men's 800m and road mile.
Michael Toll hands over the baton to Bernard Adams in the senior men's 4x400m relay at the SAAAB Track and Field meeting at the Vygieskraal stadium in 1984.
Former sprint champion Shaheeda Majiet says the plane ticket to New Zealand costs R36 000, including the visa, accommodation (for two weeks) and registration. This does not factor in day to day spending on food.
Tobias Philander, Michael Toll and several other masters' athletes are battling to raise funds for international masters' competitions.
The win that gave Michael Toll the confidence to compete at club level when he beat Emeraan Ishmail
Stephen Cloete and Odessa Swarts (Krause) in their WP club colours in 1990.
Mark Frank and Stephen Cloete in their WPSSSU colours in 1989.
Mark Frank turned down the offer of an American scholarship as the academic work at the university was not in his stream of study.
Mark Frank is a well-travelled teacher having taught in China, Thailand, Singapore and Japan. He also had a stint at Nova Hreod High School in Swindon, England.
SASSSA athletes Stephen Cloete and Mark Frank running in the boys' under 17 800m race at the SAAAB Prestige meeting in Johannesburg in 1989.
Mark Frank, left, and Shawn Abrahams after their boys' open 800m race at the Athlone Stadium in 1990.
Colin Francke, Stephen Cloete and Mark Frank.
Mark Frank wins a senior men's 800m race at the Vygieskraal Stadium.
Lincoln Bernardo in action for St Columba High School at a Western Province Senior Schools' Sports Union athletics meeting at the Athlone Stadium in 1974.
This article reports Lincoln's Bernardo victories over Edmund Lewis in Bellville South.
The cut out from a local newspaper of the best local times.
Lincoln Bernardo beats Stuart Sassman of Heathfield High and SP club into second place.
Lincoln Bernardo outside the family home in Woodstock, Cape Town, which the family lost in 1975 because of the Group Areas Act.
Lincoln Bernardo in WP colours just before his plane trip to the SA's in Durban in 1975.
Wilfred Daniels of WP held the SAAAB 400m, 800m and 1500m records simultaneously in 1975.
Farwa Mentoor built up a huge reputation in ultra distance running in the Comrades and Two Oceans races.
Sports writer Mansoor Jaffer captures some of the action at the student league athletic meetings at UWC.
The coaching and competition programmes under Willfred Daniels' guidance were starting to pay dividends by 1984.
The new Vygieskraal Stadium is packed to capacity with Jantjie Marthinus leading the field in the senior men's 800m.
Students Freddie Damon, Jantjie Marthinus and Michael Toll in action at UWC in 1985.
Some of Wilfred Daniels' Western Province athletes included Nazeem Smith, Nathan de Kock, Suezette Arendse, Kevin Africa, Emeraan Ishmail and Michael Toll.
Wilfred Daniels celebrates his 66th birthday today.
Farwa enjoyed her run in the recent Bay To Bay 30km road race on the Atlantic seaside.
A recent photograph of Farwa and her two daughters Fatima and Kauthar.
Farwa Mentoor has won 10 golds in the Comrades Marathon, more than any other South African.
Kosie Botha, left, and Emile James.
From left, Belinda Nkonzo, Farwa Mentoor, Name Please, Carol Khume and Benita Sauls.
Farwa Mentoor (Francine Skippers) with one of awards as a South African Senior Schools' runner.
Senior schools' stars Farwa Mentoor, Carol Khume and Belinda Nkonzo.
The Mentoor from left: Farwa, Kauthar, Fatima and Anwar.
On his return to athletics in 1988, Mark Jacobs of Western Province qualified for selection to the South African Amateur Athletics Board (SAAAB) track and field team, the highest level in athletics during apartheid.
After his track career, Mark Jacobs embarked on a number of road races, including the Two Oceans Marathons during the 1990s and 2000s.
Mark Jacobs' winning diploma in the SAAAB senior men's 400m in 1984.
In spite of slowing down, Mark Jacobs still had the the 400m record in the bag in 1983.
Mark Jacobs of Western Province outstrips the field in the 400m at the Vygieskraal stadium.
Jantjie Marthinus wins a closely-fought senior men's 400m race against Mark Jacobs in Durban in 1983.
Mark Jacobs on his way to winning the senior men's 400m in record time.
Mark Jacobs, left, won a thrilling race against Nazeem Smith and Jantjie Marthinus in March 1985.
Mark Jacobs crosses the line to win his second SAAAB senior men's 400m title in 1984.
Melody Marcus was an instant success when she joined the ranks of the new athletics body Athletics South Africa (ASA).
Here are two of her cross country medals she had won in 1994.
The highlight of Melody Marcus' career was winning the Ravensmead 15km road race in a course record time of 52 minutes and 22 seconds in 1998.
This is one of Melody Marcus' medals earned internationally.
Melody Marcus doing what she loves best.
Melody Marcus, right, stayed in Sacos until the bitter end before joining the unity athletics process after 1992 - the year South Africa was accepted back into the international fold.
Melody Marcus is seen striding out in the colours of UWC at the UWC track in Bellville.
Melody Marcus in her SASSSA colours.
Havilyn Elders second from left made a successful comeback in 1998 winning the SAAAB senior men's 100m final at the Vygieskraal Stadium. Later, Elders coached the highly successful Melody Marcus.
Derrick Fredericks, Ebenezer Felix, Bobang Phiri and Kevin Kiewits.
Melody Marcus and Roger Adams.
Roger Adams with three of his athletes Derrick Fredericks, Melody Marcus and Kevin Kiewits.
Jowaine Parrott has won a Comrades gold medal and was a three times runner-up in the Two Oceans Marathon.
Tania Brown of Marian High School held the WPSSSU girls under 14- to girls under 17 high jump records with a best of 1,71m.
Suezette Arendse of Hewat was the best long jumper-sprinter of the South African Amateur Athletics Board (SAAAB).
Edmund Lewis of Paarl Achilles and Nazeem Smith of Hewat proved to be top class sprinters over a long period of time.
Terrence Smith of Heathfield High School was arguably the most outstanding schoolboy sprinter of the Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union.
The newspaper article as it appeared in the Cape Argus on 28 March 2008.
Freddie Williams was a man for all seasons. Here, he runs behind leader and team mate Derrick van Dieman of South Peninsula Amateur Athletics club in a 6km road race.
The WP 1979 junior men's cross country team of Luzuko Mfubo, Freddie Williams, Charlie Banjatwa and Allan Parrott
OXFORD University educated Dr Richard Rive, the head of the English Department at Hewat Training College.
Freddie Williams of Heathfield High School thrilled the Athlone Stadium with his scintillating performances in the 800m and 1500m at both WP and SA senior schools level in the later 1970s., 1980 and 1981.
Freddie Williams of Heathfield High School was the captain of the WPSSSU cross country team in 1976.
Dr Richard Rive addresses the dinner guests at the conclusion of the SASSSA tournament in 1976.
Jowa Abrahams, Roland Palm and K. Knoesen. Knoesen was from Coca-Cola, the sponsors.
The green SASSSA badge off 1977 got changed to black in subsequent years.
Jowaine Lategan (Parrott), a former SASSSA cross country captain.
The start of the SASSSA boys cross country race at Newlands in 1976.
Richard Rive and Harry Hendricks, right, officiate at the first SASSSA cross-country meeting involving Boland and WPSSSU at Newlands Forest in 1976.
Harry Hendricks and Richard Rive were the pioneers of high schools athletics.
The diploma records Leslie Titus' victory at the South African Amateur Athletic and Cycling Union championship at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban in 1959.
Leslie Titus, running in Western Province colurs, is on his way to winning another distance race.
Leslie Titus' performances had been so captivating at senior men’s level that Springboks “Poena” Malan and Johnny Luxon said, they “were greatly impressed by the two milers”. Titus and Sam de Wet.
Sandra Petersen, second from right, in action in the women's 100m heats at the Student Games in Buffalo, New York, in 1993.
Sandra Petersen.
Sandra Petersen beats the best in Western Province at Coetzenburg in 1993.
Mondale's WPSSSU athletes in 1989, from left, Lavender October, Royston Michaels, Jackie Sauls, Eugene Webber, Sandra Petersen, Andre Abrahams.
Sandra Petersen romps home in the girls open 200m at the Athlone Stadium.
Sandra's dad, Philip Petersen, 72, played an important role in her athletics career.
Sandra Petersen showed early signs of athletic promise while still in primary school.
Sandra Petersen of Mondale at the start the girls open 100m at Athlone Stadium.
Sam de Wet receives the Gossard TRophy from the WP secretary Eddie Petersen in 1966.
Mark Cupido and Sam de Wet.
WESTERN Province Senior Schools Sports Union athlete Naomi Sylvester, who attended Sinton in the 1960s, is seen here breaking the tape in the 100 yards at the Green Point Track.
Audrey Louw was arguably Sinton's best girl's sprinter.
HERE are some of Sinton's top athletes in 1968 which included the likes of Bernard Maneveld, Leonard Witten, Herman Gibbs, Ivan Masters, Naomi Sylvester, Patricia Benn and Denise Eksteen.
In the 1950s and early 1960s I had an athlete by the name of Stafford Wilton – he was the best sprinter I had seen while being the athletics coach at Sinton - MacKay.
FP Joshua, the school's first principal.
Here are some the yesteryear athletes who contributed to the success of the school.
Back row: Augustine Morkel, Dennis Mackay (PT Master) and Clarence Frost.
Front row: I Steffenson, E Williams, Patrick Steenkamp, Vivian Hanafey, E Wyngaardt and Laura Kleinschimdt.
The old Green Point Track behind Somerset Hospital near the Waterfront in Cape Town.
Dennis MacKay, the Sinton coach of more than 20 years.
Sinton's Herman Gibbs and Ivan Masters had some absorbing duels in 1968 and 1969.
Edmund Lewis (WP, left, Terrence Smith (WP) and Edwin Roems of Boland at the SA Senior Schools meeting at the Athlone Stadium in 1973.
Edmund Lewis, left, and his his team Raymond Julius of Boland at the Dal Josafat Stadium, Paarl in 1982.
Edmund Lewis.
Edmund Lewis comfortably takes care of WPSSSU athletes Isaac Arendse, right, and Bernard Adams.
Edmund Lewis is up and away in the men's 100m at the Dal Josafat Stadium in Paarl.
Edmund Lewis mastered the art of top quality sprinting.
Edmund Lewis (in black) holds off Nazeem Smith in the men's 200m at the SAAAB Track and Field Meeting in 1984.
Sam de Wet on his way to winning the Gossard Trophy in the six-mile road race in Elsie's River.
Sam de Wet shows the class of a great champion.
The day Sam de Wet ran faster than De Villiers Lamprecht.
The Gossard trophies that were up for grabs in the Elsie's River six-mile road race.
Sam de Wet out training in Hawston in the Western Cape.
In the days of Sam de Wet athletes competed in the half mile, mile, two mile, three mile and even a six mile race. Here is De Wet winning a three-mile race at the old Green Point Track.
Sam de Wet puts in another superlative performance in the 880 yards at the old Green Point Track.
Emeraan, Ishmail, Kevin Africa and Leon Pietersen.
Dianne Carelse and Shaheeda Majiet.
Kevin Africa, Clement du Plessis and Emeraan Ishmail in a race at a meeting in Worcester.
Wilfie Daniels and Willie Davids.
Emeraan Ishmail, right, in a club meeting with the rest of the athletes after training the same night.
Emeraan Ishmail wins the boys under 17 400m race for Iona at the 1982 interhouse meeting at City Park.
Emeraan Ishmail wins the boys under 17 400m at the Athlone Stadium.
Emeraan Ishmail wins the boys under 17 400m at the Athlone Stadium.
Emeraan Ishmail wins the boys under 17 800m at the Athlone Stadium in 1982.
Arthur Lydiard, the 1960s New Zealand athletics coach.
Willie Londt's name appears in the 1955 national programme. The meeting was held in Paarl.
The cover of the 1955 athletics programme.
This is the original cover of an athletics programme of 1959.
One of Willie Londt’s many diplomas earned while still at school.
LUZUKO Mfubu (Gugulethu), Freddie Williams (South Peninsula), Charlie Banjatwa (Gugulethu) and Allan Parrott (Stellenbosch) represented Western Province at the South African Amateur Athletics Board’s Cross Country Championships in Port Elizabeth in 1979.
Scenes from the Champion of Champions meeting at the Athlone Stadium in the 1980s.
Edwin Roems, Mark Jacobs and Jantjie Marthinus, three of the finest 400m and 800m athletes in the early 1980s.
Robin April, Sam de Wet, Edgar Cloete and Jacobus van der Berg were the leading runners in the middle distance and long distance events in the 1960s.
This is John Webb's Western Province Amateur Athletics and Cycling Association diploma.
BASIL Cameron (coach), Lennie Witten, Gavin Benjamin, Allan O’Ryan, Marcello Fiasconaro and Willie Davids (with hands on knees) during a training session at the University of Cape Town Oval in 1977.
Gavin Benjamin, centre, and Allan O'Ryan training at the UWC Oval in 1977.
Gavin Benjamin beats Wilfred Daniels in the men's 400m in 1977.
Audrey Louw, the star Alexander Sinton High School sprint and long jump champion in the early 1970s.
Bernard Adams, the versatile track and field athlete of the predominantly 1980s period..
Bernard Adams hands over the baton to Nazeem Smith in the men's 4X400m relay at the 1984 Western Province inter-colleges meeting in Paarl.
Mark Franks holds off Michael Toll in the men's 800m.
Mark Franks and Shawn Abrahams after the boys open 800m at the Athlone Stadium.
The cover of the 1979 SASSSA programme in Paarl.
Norma Joseph in striped leotard loses narrowly to Loretta Jeneke, right.
Norma Joseph was a member of the 1971 Athlone Union team managed by Robin April.
The three gold medals Norma Joseph won at the SA Championship in Durban in 1975 (100m, 200m and long jump)
Henry de Grass (241) leads from John September (243) in the senior men's 10 000m at the Dal in 1986. Richard Lemon (242), Thando Rulashe (31) and Emile James (118).
John September.
EXCUSE the caption to the original photo.
Isaac Opperman (379) of Western Province had, in fact, won the SAAAB junior men's 3000m from John September (383). Third place went to D Steyn of South Western Districts.
The name of Gerald Prins of South Western Districts features in the junior men's 800m won by Rubin Steyn of Western Province.
Prins came second and Shaun Phillips of WP came third.
This was on the occasion of the South African Amateur Athletics Board Track and Field championships held in Port Elizabeth in 1985.
Donovan Wright won his second gold medal in a Western Province record time of 5 hours, 35 minutes and 37 seconds (up run) at the Comrades Marathon in 2000.
THE 1991 South African Amateur Athletics Board's (SAAAB) Track and Field captain Donovan Wright (UWC) won his first of two gold medals at the Comrades Marathon in 1996.
Peter Hartnick leads early in a men's road in Athlone. On the left is John September and Donovan Wright and on the right is Tobias Philander.
The WPAAU cross country team.
Kevin Africa wins the SAAAB men's 200m race from Joseph Jonas and Clement du Plessis in Paarl in 1986.
A scene from a typical start to the 100m at the old Athlone Stadium in the 1980s.
Kevin Africa wins the junior men's 100m from Sammy Wilkins at the Vygieskraal Stadium in 1982. Wilkins died in June 1982.
Gawa Moyce was a dominant athlete in the field events in the 1980s.
The badge of Hewat Training College. Hewat produced many top-class athletes over a period of four decades.
Clement du Plessis of Hewat wins the men's 100m in 10,3 seconds at the old Green Point track in 1986.
Kevin Africa of Sinton wins the boys under 17 100m at the Athlone Stadium in 1982.
Eddie May had to move his panel beating shop to Athlone from District Six because of the 1948 apartheid policy of the National Party, an all-white government.
Sheppard Street, District Six.
District Six, Cape Town.
The day Herman Gibbs beat George Montanus in the men's 100m.
Herman Gibbs wins the 100m and 200m at the Western Province championships.
Herman Gibbs, Gavin Benjamin, Allan O'Ryan and John Wippenaar.
Herman Gibbs of Hewat clocked 10,5 seconds in the boys open 100m race at the old Green Point Track in 1971. It was a WP schools' record at the time.
Sharon Klein and Tessa Hefele were two of the brightest prospects in the middle distance events.
Stephen Cloete and Odessa Swarts (Krause).
Dianne Carelse in 1982.
Dianne Carelse wins the 100m at the Champion of Champions at the Athlone Stadium in 1982.
The day Sam de Wet blew away his opponents.
Cecil Blows of Western Province wins the 220 yards at the South African championships in Durban in 1967.
The young sprint champion Odessa Krause and WP teammate Stephen Cloete.
