Some top class athletics performances were on show in Windhoek over the weekend when the cream of Namibia's junior athletes competed at the Coca Cola National Athletics School Championships at Windhoek's Independence Stadium.
A total of 740 athletes from 13 regions competed at the championships which saw a total of ten new records established, reports the Namibia Sport.
According to Solly Duiker of the Namibia School Sport Union, the performances were an improvement on last year, which was mainly due to new, stricter qualifying standards.
"The competition level has improved a lot on last year and ten new records were established.
"We applied new qualifying criteria, in terms of which athletes first had to qualify at zonal level and then at regional level before making it to the nationals, and this has improved the quality of performances," he said.
Duiker said that 50 athletes will be selected to participate at the COSASSA Championships which will be held in Botswana in April .
The junior victrix ludorum was Chene Bester of Oshikoto who won the girls 14-15 200m hurdles in 32,09 seconds, and came second in the 80m hurdles in 13,09 seconds.
Efraim Ndifan of Otjozondjupa won the junior victor ludorum trophy after coming third in the boys 14-15 100m in 11,74 seconds; first in the 200m in 23,50 seconds and first in the long jump in 6,07m.
The senior victor ludorum was FC Pieterse of Khomas, while Jolene Jacobs of Khomas was the senior victrix ludorum.
Pieterse excelled in the boys 16/17 year old category winning three gold medals. He won the 100m in 10,65 seconds, the 200m in 21,92 seconds and the 110m hurdles in 14,59 seconds.
Jacobs won three silver medals in the girls' 18/19 year old category. She came second in the 100m in 12,71 seconds, second in the 200m in 25,75 seconds and second in the 100m hurdles in 16,56 seconds.
The top female performers in the various age group categories were Kirsten Kruger of Erongo (Girls 12-13), Chrisline Gaes of Otjozondjupa (Girls 14-15), Cornel Britz of Khomas (Girls 16-17) and Jolene Jacobs of Khomas (Girls 18-19).
The top male performers were Eben Bezuidenhout of Khomas (Boys 12-13), Efraim Ndifan of Otjozondjupa (Boys 14-15), FC Pieterse of Khomas (Boys 16-17) and Eben Eichab of Hardap (Boys 18-19).
See complete results (attached)