Chengelo Elite Athletes prepare for UK trip at annual Sports Day

 CEAS enjoy success at Sports Day.

The annual Secondary Sports Day brought an opportunity to the Chengelo Elite Squad to set personal bests and school records. For Chigomezyo, Maria and Johanna, it was to be the last chance for some competitive racing before the August UK trip. 

Unfortunately, due to injury, Chigo was not able to compete in his 800m race and ran a slow pace to prevent further damage to his hamstring. However, he is now looking forward to recovering fully and being fit for the UK trip in a little over two weeks’ time.

Chigo was forced to restrict himself in the 800m due to injury.

Chigo finished in fifth place due to his careful pace.

Herbert Mithi ran 1500m in a time of 5 minutes 2.64 seconds to win comfortably in the Intermediate Boys’ race. He was admittedly not at his best and should look to be running sub-5 minutes more often next season. However, he could argue that the lack of competition for him is another reason for his relatively slow time.

Herbert was looking to run under 5 minutes in his Intermediate Boys' 1500m.

Herbert could even afford a smile on his way to 1500m victory.

In the 200m, Johanna Bangala smashed the Junior Girls’ record and her personal best by running 25.93 seconds. This was good news for Johanna, who has not recorded a P.B. for almost one year. She will be hoping to run closer to 25 seconds flat in the UK, considering this was on a grass track. Maria also claimed a school record, clocking 26.92 seconds in the Intermediate Girls’ 200m. Maria slowed down towards the end when she knew the race was won and will also be looking to improve on her personal best of 26.50 seconds in the UK.

Johanna was delighted with her time of 25.93 seconds, a personal best.

Maria was running her 200m from lane 3.

Next up was the 100m in which both Bangala sisters were competing again. Johanna ran a school record time of 13.12 seconds, while Maria came under some serious pressure before winning in 13.57 seconds. Maria will be running some 100m races during the UK trip and will hope to get closer to 13 seconds flat or below.

Johanna Bangala had the race won after 20 metres!

Johanna recorded a record time of 13.12 seconds.

Maria got off to a fast start in the 100m sprint.

Maria came under pressure from Liseli Musokotwane in the 100m.

In the 400m, Johanna secured a school record by running 1 minutes 3.24 seconds, while Maria bettered that with a time of 1 minute 2.97 seconds, also a school record. The girls were getting tired at this point and did well to record decent times.

Johanna gets out of the blocks quickly on her way to a school record.

Maria gets up to speed in the 400m race.

Maria dips at the line for her Intermediate Girls' record.

Herbert, Maria and Johanna all ran in the 4x100m relay races to cap off a busy yet successful day. However, there was disappointment for Chigo, Maria and Johanna as their house team succumbed to Herbert’s house team Mukwa for the second year in succession in the final standings.

Mukwa captains and vice-captains celebrate with the trophy.

Chigo, Maria and Johanna travel to the UK on 3rd August for a four week trip. Keep checking the blog during August for updates on their progress!

Eight gold medals and four silvers for Elite Squad at ISAZ Finals!

Elite Athletes help Copperbelt to ISAZ Finals win

On 13^th June, the Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad travelled to Lusaka as part of the Chengelo School Team to compete in the ISAZ Athletics Finals. The competition was tough, with athletes from many schools who had qualified from the regional competitions two weeks earlier.

Herbert Mithi was running in the first race of the day, the 1500m. He ran a sensible pace, maintaining his speed as fellow competitors fell further and further behind him. He eventually won the gold medal comfortably in a time of 4 minutes 56.58 seconds.

Herbert ran a sensible race to win the 1500m

Herbert ups the tempo on his final lap

Sisters Johanna and Maria ran their respective 400m races next, Johanna winning the under-14 edition in 1 minute 1.56 seconds, a good time considering the blustery conditions.

Johanna started strongly in the 400m

Maria was up against Busiwa Asinga, one of the country’s top young athletes. Busiwa started fast and finished strongly as Maria finished a close second in 1 minute 2.52 seconds.

Maria was running from lane 1 in her 400m race

The 100m brought some more fast times for the girls, with Johanna winning easily in 13.08 seconds (video below). Maria was up against African Youth Championships finalist Suwilanji Mpondela, finishing second to the girl from International School of Lusaka. Maria recorded a time of 13.28 seconds, with Suwilanji breaking the ISAZ record in 12.33 seconds.

Johanna in the thick of the action in the 100m

Maria started well but couldn't catch Suwilanji Mpondela

Meanwhile, Herbert was setting a new ISAZ record of 40.88m in the boys under-16 javelin on his way to winning the event. He also finished second in the triple jump with a great jump of 12.55m.

 

Herbert showed his athletic talent by winning 1500m and javelin gold as well as triple jump silver

Johanna then ran 200m in 26.98 seconds to win gold in the under-14 category. Maria was again up against Busiwa Asinga in her 200m race and she once again finished a close second in a personal best time of 26.50 (video below).

Johanna's time of 26.98 seconds was her second fastest 200m ever

Maria set a new personal best of 26.50 seconds in the 200m

Soon after, Maria was winning a gold medal as part of the Chengelo 4x100m relay team, anchoring them to victory in a scorching time of 54.03 seconds, a new ISAZ record.

 

Maria brings home the baton for an ISAZ record in the 4x100m relay

Johanna and Maria then both ran the final leg for their respective 4x400m relay teams, with the under-14 team winning in 4 minutes 39.75 seconds and the victorious under-16 team a fraction quicker in 4 minutes 39.56 seconds.

 

The under-14 4x400m team won by an impressive margin

Maria ran the final lap in the 4x400m relay

All in all, it was a successful day for the Elite Squad, picking up eight gold medals and four silver medals between them. The athletes were keen to get straight back into training and will no doubt be giving their all in sessions after seeing the best athletes that ISAZ schools has to offer.

Herbert enjoying the atmosphere after winning three medals

CEAS qualify for ISAZ Finals

ISAZ Qualifiers a stroll for Elite Athletes

Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad travelled with the rest of the school team to Lechwe School, Kitwe for the 2015 Independent Schools Association of Zambia Athletics Qualifiers on Saturday 30^th May.

Chigo Kawonga was too old for this year’s competition and remained in Mkushi. However, Herbert Mithi, Maria Bangala and Johanna Bangala were ready to compete with the top athletes from the Copperbelt ISAZ schools.

With Herbert competing in the 1500m, javelin and triple jump for his age group and both girls running in the 100m, 200m, 400m and both relays, it was to be a busy day for all three athletes but one with plenty of opportunity for ISAZ records if not personal bests.

Herbert was up first in the under-16 boys’ 1500m and led from start to finish to win in a personal best time of 4 minutes 50.12 seconds.

Johanna and Maria then started their busy schedules with the 200m. Both sisters won their heats in fast times on a relatively poor track compared to previous ISAZ competitions. Johanna’s time of 27.52 seconds was over a second outside the under-14 girls’ ISAZ record and her personal best of 26.30 set at last year’s finals. Maria was running her first timed 200m and finished in 28.20, only seven hundredths of a second slower than the under-16 girls’ ISAZ record. Maria will be hoping to claim that record at the finals, where she will be running on a much faster track.

Meanwhile, Herbert was competing in the triple jump competition and qualified for the finals with an effort of 11.90m in a close competition in which the ISAZ record of 12.06m was threatened.

The 400m races were up next and Johanna ran first, winning in a time of 1 minute 2.08 seconds. This was Johanna’s best time ever on grass and she will be hoping to beat her own ISAZ record of 1 minute 0.12 seconds at the finals. Maria qualified by finishing first in a time of 1 minute 5.57 seconds, an ISAZ record. She will be hoping to better that at the finals at OYDC in two weeks’ time.

While the girls won their races, Herbert threw the javelin far enough to qualify for the finals to ensure he will be competing in his three favourite events at OYDC on 13^th June. The competition will be stronger on that day with the top four competitors from the Lusaka qualifiers joining the four qualifiers from the Copperbelt competition.

Johanna and Maria then both won their 100m heats in good times. Johanna recorded 13.56 seconds to win by daylight, with Maria clocking a slightly faster 13.33 seconds in the under-16 race. Maria will be up against one of the best sprinters in the country in Suwilanji Mpondela at the finals in two weeks’ time. Suwlianji beat Johanna in the under-14 100m race last year, with Johanna defeating her in the 200m.

There was a familiar face in the under-19 boys 100m race as Kikwanza Sondashi won in 11.22 seconds. The younger members of the squad were reunited for the first time since Kikwanza left Chengelo to join Trident School during the December holidays.

Next up were the relays. Johanna and her under-14 girls’ team won their 4x400m race in a time of 4 minutes 41.12 seconds, while Maria’s under-16 team won in a slightly faster 4 minutes 39.32. There was disappointment for Johanna as the 4x100m team were disqualified for an illegal handover after winning the race easily. Maria brought the under-16 team home in a blistering time of 54.37, a new ISAZ record.

The athletes will now return to training on Monday to continue preparing themselves for the Finals in Lusaka.

Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad share their expectations for upcoming UK trip.

 CEAS share their expectations for upcoming trip.

As the Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad prepare to travel to the UK for their Sports and Cultural Trip in August, they have been thinking about what their expectations are for the trip. The trip will certainly be a new experience for them and they will not know exactly what to expect. However, they have opened up and shared their personal opinions.

Chigomezyo Kawonga

"Going to England is something I am deeply privileged to have the opportunity of doing. I am looking forward to running there and getting faster and better times.

However, before then there is a lot of hard work to do. I look forward to the trip and seeing new places and meeting new people will be exciting!"

Chigomezyo going through his warm-up routine before another tough session.

Chigo has had to allocate time to training as well as Head Boy duties this year.

Chigo, an 800m runner, often runs long distances in his training to improve endurance.

Johanna Bangala

"I certainly know and believe that this will be an amazing opportunity to compete with other young, up-and-coming athletes like myself. It will definitely be very different from competing here in Zambia due to the superior facilities and the change in climate.

Being a cultural trip, it will be fun and interesting to learn more about the UK and to be able to compare the two places. I am looking forward to it, especially being able to give my best and seeing where that will take me!"

The Bangala sisters have been working on speed endurance in their training this year.

Johanna stretching before another hard session on the Chengelo track.

The Bangala sisters enjoying a more relaxed moment during training!

The girls' focus is what has helped them to make great improvements in athletics.

Maria Bangala

"What I’m expecting and hoping for during the trip is to improve my personal best times in athletics. I want to get fitter, stronger and gain some experience. I hope I will learn to be brave and to be able to calm my nerves at the beginning of important races.

On the geographic side of things, I’m apprehensive about the weather, although Mr Gibbons has told us it won’t be too cold in August. However, I am used to the warmer climate so we will see how different it will be.

We will have to get used to the accents we will come across and the way people do things differently in the UK. The food may also be different from what we are used to but I’m looking forward to learning about a different culture.

It will be the longest I’ve stayed in a different country and I hope I’ll be able to cope with that. However, my sister will be with me so I’m sure we will both be fine."

Maria will celebrate her 16th birthday during the UK Sports and Cultural Trip in August!