Curro athletes dominate ASA Age Groups across hurdles and middle distance
31 March 2026Three days of national competition in Germiston delivered standout results for Curro athletes, with a national record, multiple double champions, and a strong medal tally across age groups and disciplines at the ASA Age Group Championships.
Record-breaking performance leads the charge
The defining moment of the championships came from Matodzi Ndou, a Curro Hazeldean alumnus, who broke the U20 men’s 400m hurdles national record in 48.64 seconds. His run shaved 0.09 seconds off the previous mark held since 2019.
Matodzi, who competed for Athletics Gauteng North, secured gold and set a new benchmark in the event.
Sprinting speed on display
Sarah Reed of Curro Hillcrest delivered one of the fastest performances of the weekend. Her 23.20-second run in the U18 200m heats stood as the fastest time recorded across all age groups at the championships.
She followed that with gold in the final, clocking 23.41 seconds.
In the U16 category, Bintou Camara of Curro Hazeldean claimed gold in both the 100m and 200m. Her teammate Keriana Govender added a silver medal in the 100 m, completing a strong showing for the sprint squad.
Middle-distance athletes dominate
Tiisetso Malungane of Curro Hazeldean controlled the U18 middle-distance events, winning both the 800m and 1500m titles. His 1500m time of 3:45.82 placed him within seconds of a long-standing South African youth record.
Tiisetso’s results also secured qualification for the World Athletics event in Oregon later this year.
Tinyiko Ndala, another Curro Hazeldean alumna, matched that success in the U23 category, winning both the 800m and 1500m.
Strength across track and field
Curro athletes delivered results across a wide range of events.
Matimba Baloyi took gold in the U18 men’s 400m hurdles, while Mantle Tshelana won the U16 men’s 800m and added bronze in the 1500m.
In the field events, Michaela Spocter of Meridian Pinehurst secured gold in the U20 women’s high jump.
Further podium finishes included:
- Tshepo Tyantini – silver (U23 100m), bronze (U23 200m)
- Mukhona Manavhela – gold (U20 200m), silver (U20 100m)
- Amogelang Motlatle – bronze (U20 100m hurdles)
- Miche van Staden (Curro Durbanville) – bronze (U20 200m)
Bradley Maponyane reached the finals in both the U23 200m and 400m, finishing fourth in each.
A national presence across age groups
Curro Sport Portfolio Manager Cindy van der Merwe reflected on the result when she said, ‘This weekend reflected what we have been building at Curro. To see our athletes competing and winning across multiple provinces, age groups, and disciplines – and doing so at a national level - is exactly what our athletics programme is designed to produce.’
She added, ‘The breadth and quality of our representation across multiple provinces, schools, age groups and disciplines this weekend speaks to something deliberate: an environment that nurtures athletic potential alongside academic development, and which increasingly produces athletes who compete, and win, at the very highest levels of junior sport in South Africa. Our current athletes and alumni claimed 12 individual gold medals, 5 individual silver medals, and a further 8 individual bronze medals across the three-day championships.’
Looking ahead to international competition
The ASA Age Group Championships continue to serve as a key step in the national athletics pathway. Several Curro athletes now move into the next phase of competition, with the World Junior Championships in Oregon later this year on the calendar.