Athletics South Africa – News – MOKOKA, PHALULA TWINS SPEARHEAD TEAM TO AFRICA AND WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

South Africa’s 10 000m and Cross Country Champion Steven Mokoka and the Phalula twins spearhead the South African contingent to both the African Cross Country Championships in Cape Town on 6 March and the World Championships in Spain on the 20 March.  Mokoka comfortably won the SA title in September in 2010 and was runner up behind behind Kgosi Tsosane at the Trial’s held in Pothefstroom on the 21 January. The result was in fact a position reversal of the SA Champs.

 

Lebogang Phalula and Annerien van Schalkwyk had tight battles at both the Championships and the trials and will be the pick of the ladies team; in fact the ladies team will look to them to challenge in the team category.

 

 

Both Mokoka and the Phalula girls will be racing in the 1500m in the second Yellow Pages Meeting of the Series in Pretoria on Friday 25 February. Mokoka is in sublime form after winning the Best Med 10km (29:32) road race in Pretoria on Saturday morning on the 19 February, then drove through to Potchefstroom to compete in the men’s 3000m which he duly won – in a time of 7:55;92. Only four times was the 8 minute mark beaten by a South African in 2010; all of those times were posted in Europe. Mokoka did if in February in South Africa at altitude and he is fast becoming the man who will take over the mantle of South Africa’s premier middle distance athlete over distances ranging from the 1500m to 10 000m on the track. With his 61:26 half marathon time and 2:08;33 Marathon time, Mokoka is a class athlete on any surface and he will be ignored at the rest of the continents peril come the Africa Cross Country Championships on 6 March in Cape Town.

 

The Phalula twins are also clearly in shape for the first ever Africa Cross Country event to be held in South Africa, particularly Lebogang. The sisters competed in the European Cross Country season in December of last year and Janaury this year with Lebogang finishing runner up in Fuensalida, Spain behind Kenya’s Eunice Jepkorir.

 

Her win at the trials showed she was the form athlete and the victory on Saturday 19 February in Potchefstroom at the Yellow Pages Meet over 3000m is good preparation for the Africa Cross Country Championships. She and her sister, like Mokoka, will be racinfg the 1500m in Pretoria on Friday 25 February as final preparation for the Cross Country Championships.

 

 

 

Senior Men:

 

Kgosi Tsosane
Steven Mokoka
Lungiswa Mdedelwa
Boy Soke
Xolisa Tyali
Tshamano Setone

 

Senior Women:

Lebogana Phalula
Annerien van Schalkwyk
Lebo Phalula
Mapaseka Makhanya
Teboho Masehla
Rene Kalmer

 

Junior Men:

William Kaptain
Merline Klaaste
Jeromy Andreas
Luyanda Qolo
Luxolo Mdzanga
Edwin Sesipi

 

Junior Women:

Letitia Snyman
Caroline Marandela
Thato Makhafola
Sylvia Tshetlanyane
Thandeka Manzana
Konzeni Gwegwe

 

 Athletics South Africa – News