USSA Team enters Interprovincial

University Sport of South Africa

University Sport of South Africa (USSA) has selected a team of 20 athletes for the first Yellow Pages Interprovincial Meeting taking place on Saturday, 25 February 2012.

With athletes like Claudia Viljoen, Mandie Brandt, Eugenie Wicksell, Waide Jooste, Russel Tucker and Donovan Snyman the team will look at improving their 2011 standings where they finished fourth overall (38994 points) behind Western Province at the Interprovincial meetings.

The 100m hurdles specialist Claudia Viljoen will be competing in the 100m and 100m hurdles on Saturday.  Not only did she win the 100m hurdles SA Championships title in Durban in April 2011 in a new best time (13.64sec) but she is also the University Champion. Viljoen is favourite in her speciality event, and should she clock a time 14.00secs – slow by her standards – she will earn 1031 points for her team. Viljoen’s best time of 11.87sec in the 100m was run on this very track on 26 March 2011.

Mandie Brandt will line up in both the 800m and 1500m events at the Interprovincial on Saturday where she will be sure to add some points to the USSA scoring table.  Her track record in 2011, contested over the 800m, has seen her average at a third place finish.  She may be up against Mapaseka Makhanya from CGA who is aiming for a 2:03- 2:04 time, but Brandt is capable of running close to the time as she proved in Stellenbosch at the University Championships (30 April 2011) when she finished 2^nd (2:04.65).  She also achieved a personal best in the 1500m at the same championships in the 1500m (4:22.79).

Male contestants in the team include Russel Tucker who will be competing in the discus throw and Donovan Snyman who will be doubling up in discus throw and shot put.  Germiston will have fond memories for Tucker as he threw a personal best at the National Championships and took the title with an attempt of 57.50m.  Tucker also represented South Africa at the All Africa Games in Maputo in September 2011.

Snyman on the other hand does not have as much experience as Tucker. He competed in Durban at the SA Championships as well as the University Championships in Stellenbosch where he finished 6^th (51.75m) and 5^th (53.16m) respectively in the discus throw.  His best in the shot put last year was 17.53m

Other names in the USSA team are Eugenie Wicksell (400m), Anuschka Nice (800m) Waide Jooste (100m), Bernard Pretorius (both 110m and 400m hurdles), Ruan Greyling (400m) and many more.

The first Yellow Pages Interprovincial meeting will take place at Germiston Stadium with the first event starting at 13h00 on 25 February. Gates will open at 11h00.

Tickets can be purchased online from itickets.co.za, via telephone on 086 1000 291 or at the gate. Prices for tickets are R25 for adults and R15 for children.

Provisional USSA Team