With the South African High Schools’ athletics season coming to an end, it was Boland who yet again dominated the Western Cape championships, in Paarl, last weekend.
The competition saw the top athletes from the Western Province, Boland and South Western District battle for a spot in the Western Cape team that will take part in the SA high schools’ championships, in Durban this weekend.
It was the end of the schools’ athletics season for Mondale High Schools’ Jade-Rae Scheepers, from Westridge, who finished in 13th place with a distance of 10.26m in the girls’ under-17 shot-put event.
Jade-Rae came into the WC schools’ championships in fine form after coming fourth in the girls’ under-18 shot-put event with a distance of 11.15m at the Western Province high schools’ and junior championships, at Vygieskraal Stadium, earlier this month.
The former Parkhurst Primary School pupil also took part in the girls’ under-18 javelin and discus events at the WP schools’ and junior champs.
Ahead of the WP champs, Jade-Rae said she hoped to emulate her performances from the inter-schools and southern zone championships.
This was after she came first in shot-put and discus and second in javelin. At the Southern Zone champs in February, she came fourth for shot-put and discus events.
Although disappointed, Jade-Rae said the competition was tough at the WC schools’ championships.
“I gave it my all but it was not enough. This was one of my better seasons, hopefully, I can do better next year,” she said.
Already an accomplished athlete since primary school, Jade represented the Western Province schools’ team at the Western Cape championships from 2011 to 2015 and again this year. She also represented the WP clubs’ team in 2015, at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) junior championships for javelin and shot-put in Bloemfontein.
“I feel happy about all my achievements because I never knew what I was capable of until I achieved them. However, this is only the start of things to much as there is still so much more to achieve,” she said.
It comes as no surprise that both Jade-Rae’s mother, Rachel Cressy, and grandmother, Enid Cressy, were Western Province sprinters in their days. Jade-Rae is a fan of South African javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen, who threw a distance of 64.92m to win the silver medal at last year’s Rio Olympics.
“She threw at a number of Olympics but last year was the first time she actually won a medal. This goes to show that she never gave up on her dream of winning a medal at the Olympics. I hope to follow in her footsteps and compete at an international level one day,” she said.
Her number one supporter and brother Randi Cressy said he was impressed by his sister’s performances this year after she dropped out at the southern zone championships last year.
“She has had a great season this year and hopefully she can go all the way to SA schools’ champs next year.
“I hope to see her on television one day representing Western Province and South Africa because she has the potential. She is caring, loving and always willing to give her best,” he said.