ISAZ Qualifiers: An athlete's perspective.

ISAZ Qualifiers: An athlete's perspective.

The view from the stands on a beautiful day at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

The Independent Schools Association of Zambia Track and Field Qualifiers were a great opportunity for us to learn how to pace ourselves and to be self-motivated in order to do well. Other competitions in which we have taken part require us to run against people who are much older and faster than us. This makes it easier for us to get nearer to our personal best times as we have people to chase. 

At the ISAZ Qualifiers, I did a 200m race, a 400m race, a 100m race and two relays. In my 400m race I was able to run a time of 60.78s; this was a second or so off my P.B. so I was quite satisfied with that. In my 200m race, I ran a time of 27.10s and in my 100m race, I ran 13.21s. These were both personal bests.

Kiki and Herbert did very well too. It was unquestionably easy for us to win our races, but our main aim for this competition was to get personal best times without having people to chase. In Kiki’s 100m race he got a time of 11.01s. This was an ISAZ record and Kiki’s P.B. In his 200m race, he got a time of 22.32s which was very impressive.

Herbert ran his 800m race in a time of 2 minutes 25.78s; this was fair and acceptable as he had just recovered from chickenpox.

Overall, the event was a great success for Chengelo and a great encouragement for us to keep working hard. On a sad note, my sister Maria couldn’t make it to the event because of her injury. But thank God she is feeling much better and will be back on the track soon.

By Johanna Bangala

The athletes will now get themselves into shape for the ISAZ Finals on Saturday 14th June.

 

Johanna Bangala win the 100m in 13.21s. (Personal best)

Johanna Bangala crosses the line in the 100m. Photo: Catherine Falcone

Johanna Bangala claims a personal best and an ISAZ record with 27.10s in the 200m.

Johanna Bangala smashes the ISAZ 400m record by over four and a half seconds.

Johanna Bangala leads the 4x100m u-14 girls team home.

Kikwanza Sondashi runs a new personal best and ISAZ record of 11.01s in the 100m.

Kikwanza Sondashi wins the 200m in 22.32s, a personal best and ISAZ record.

Kikwanza Sondashi runs the final leg of the 4x100m relay as the u-16 boys win.

An unfortunate moment in the Senior Boys 200m!


A big "thank you" to Maurizio Facci in Form 1 for filming many of the races!

Squad compete at National Track and Field Championships in Ndola

On 17th May, three members of the Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad participated in the National Track and Field Championships at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. Herbert Mithi was not able to attend the event due to chickenpox and Maria Bangala was nursing an injury, but still traveled to support her sister, Johanna.

Chigomezyo Kawonga impressed in the 800m with a personal best time of 2 min 5.01s. Once again, he paced his run superbly, not fazed by the quick first lap. Chigo is now hoping to work on his endurance in the last 200m to improve on this personal best further.

 Chigomezyo Kawonga

Chigomezyo passes several runners on his second lap as he runs a personal best time.

Johanna Bangala, despite missing a couple of weeks of training in April through injury, competed in a race packed with quality. She finished in fourth place in a time of 1 min 0.21s which was seen as a good time considering the limited amount of training she has completed in the weeks prior to the event.

 Johanna Bangala

Kikwanza Sondashi ran a time of 11.43s in the 100m to qualify for the final. Despite two false starts from other runners, he kept his cool and ran a personal best time of 11.17s to finish in fifth place. Kikwanza stumbled out of the blocks and slowed down towards the end of the race and therefore should feel as though he can run a faster time in the near future.

 Kikwanza Sondashi

 

Kikwanza Sondashi sneaks into the final as a fastest loser in the heats.

The athletes will now look forward to the upcoming Independent School Association of Zambia Athletics Qualifiers in Ndola on 31st May and the finals which will be held two weeks later.

Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad travel to Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka for All-Comers Challenge

Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad traveled to the Olympic Youth Development Centre for the All-Comers Challenge on 29th March 2014. After some tough training in the previous weeks, they were hopeful of posting some fast times on the track.

Kikwanza Sondashi recorded a personal best time of 23.01 in the 200m and 11.51 in the 100m. Kikwanza finished in 1st place in the 100m and a close 2nd in the 200m. The times were impressive but he has still plenty of areas in which to improve which is seen as a positive thing.

 Kikwanza Sondashi

Kikwanza Sondashi produces a strong finish to claim second place in his 200m race.

Kikwanza Sondashi wins his men's 100m race in 11.51s.

Sisters Maria Bangala and Johanna Bangala ran in the 400m and both posted personal bests, running 1 min 0.99s and 59.31s respectively. The girls enjoyed competing in a race packed with quality athletes, including a 51-second runner!

Johanna Bangala

 Maria Bangala

Johanna and Maria Bangala both run personal best times in a tough 400m race.

Chigomezyo Kawonga competed in the 800m and ran a personal best of 2 min 6.53s. He paced himself brilliantly throughout the race and had energy to pass several runners on the final lap. Chigo also ran, along with Herbert Mithi, in the 1500m. His time of 4 min 35.00s was enough to place him in fourth, while Herbert ran a time of 4min 59.79s in his first taste of action in an All-Comers Challenge.

 Chigomezyo Kawonga

 Herbert Mithi

Another All-Comers Challenge was planned for 26th April but was postponed due to 3 days National Mourning after the passing on of legendary football commentator Dennis Liwewe. This meant that the next event in which the athletes would compete was the National Track and Field Championships in Ndola on 17th May.