LADY LUCK SMILES on LADY BUCKS USSA HIGHLIGHTS in a Stunning Turnaround of Last Year’S Events, at a 2014 USSA Team Tournament

FRIDAY 18 JULY 2014 VOL 1

WITS’ 2014 MID - Y E A R LADY LUCK SMILES ON LADY BUCKS USSA HIGHLIGHTS In a stunning turnaround of last year’s events, at a 2014 USSA team tournament. The consistent ● Women’s hockey Wits’ men’s and women’s first basketball teams effort put into a tough GUBL season, and a hard traded fortunes at this year’s USSA’s. In 2014 it working out by coaches Matlakala and men’s 1st side finish 2nd in B- was the Wits Lady Bucks who made the final of the section; secure inclu- national student basketball championships — sion in Varsity indeed, won it — and the Wit’s men’s team who were bundled out at the semi-final stage. The Hockey Horny Bucks nevertheless won their third-place ● WHB win play-off play-off. for 3rd place But the kudos this year go to the women’s team, ● Rugby XV run oppo- who put behind them the disappointment of last year’s third-place finish, sweeping all before them nents close but end to wrest the women’s title by beating the highly- winless in G’Town rated VUT 66-62. ● Men’s hockey team The tournament follows the tragic death of UL Medunsa and Gauteng University Basketball finish 7th in A- The victorious WLB squad. Modiegi Mokoka League chairperson Tshepo Manamela. At the (front left) sank the final basket for the Wits section time of his passing, Manamela was chairperson of women’s team to clinch the USSA title.  Volleyball men, the GUBL exco. team coach Tshiamo Ngakane during the pre- women crash out in Wits’ men’s side had to settle for third place this time around, beating UJ 85-40 in their play-off. tournament training camp, appear to have served QF’s but still send Wits lost 63-50 to VUT in their semi-final game, Wits Basketball well. The Lady Bucks’ Modiegi players to national & despite leading 36-29 going into the final quarter. Mokoka was voted Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Following their victory, VC Adam provincial squads In last year’s championships at UCT, the WHB were losing finalists. Habib expressed his intention to honour the Lady  Badminton wins sin- Bucks’ achievement when students return for the Wits Lady Bucks, coached by the modest Wilie gles & team honours new term. Click here to see a video clip of the final. Matlakala, became the first Wits team to win gold

ROUGH RIDE FOR RUGBY ROOKIES AT RHODES INSIDE Blooding a crop of new players in the country’s Brylon & Bruce 3 largest student rugby competition was always a named in USSA u21 risky step but coach Andy Royle believes it will pay off in the months to come, writes Alan Leonard, Happy ending for 3 Wits Rugby Club manager, who accompanied the women’s hockey in squad to the USSA’s at Rhodes in Grahamstown. More accolades in 2 Wits lost their opening match to a very strong UJ line for Pietie Coet- team 15-52, a game in which the Auckland Park Wits are forced defend an NMMU punt ahead. side quickly established themselves as tourna- The Witsies lost this final game 26-22. Wits Fencing foils 4 ment favourites. Joshua Jarvis and Richard Poultney kicked a conversion and a penalty. the sceptics Crossman crossed for tries while Michael Sephton- Wits captain Thato Mavundla, and Connor Brockschmidt, Joshua Jarvis and Gideon Muller, Evasan Chettiar 2 were all outstanding. Wits’ second match on the makes a Polish-ed Wednesday, against UFS Shimlas, was, according to most spectators, one of the best of the Engen KOC 2014 4 tournament. The Witsies put in a massive effort to tie the match 24-24 at full time before con- ceding three tries in extra time to lose 24-43. Volunteering 3 Outstanding contributions were made by Thato for USSA Against NMMU, Wits charge out as they restart Mavundla, Brent Crossley, Josh Jarvis, Ish Nkolo, from a 22m drop-out Luvoyo Pupuma and Ameer Williams.

1 Women’s hockey coach wins GP sports honours

Wits’ women’s hockey coach, team participating in this She is one of the most capped Pietie Coetzee (left) was rec- year’s Rabobank hockey players in women’s test ognised recently as the Gau- World Cup in Amsterdam, The hockey, and is also a leading teng Sports Award’s Sports- Netherlands. goal-scorer among her peers woman of the Year for 2014. at international level. Pietie beat contenders Kirsten After a long and rewarding Beckett (gymnastics) and career in international hockey, Kistern McCann (rowing) for it was natural that Pietie this accolade. She joined Wits would take to coaching. These Hockey at the beginning of the days he’s a regular down at year. The coach was also a late the WEC artificial pitch, put- call-up to the SA women’s Pietie Coetzee, GP’s 2014 sportswoman of the year ting girls through their paces.

Don’t forget! WITS YACHT CLUB UPDATE Badminton comes AmaTuesdayz inter-varsity football at the UKZN-DUT-WITS-U Stell good at USSA’s returns on August 5th when Wits’ inter-varsity event in Durban men’s & women’s teams are away over the weekend of 28 & 29 to UJ @ their Bunting Road campus June; and Ricky Robinson, Gina WBC’s Tashlin Hamid reports that Gibson and Victoria Stock in the team excelled at the 2014 stadium. Abafazi kick off @ 6pm, USSA’s at UFS in Bloemfontein, the MSC Offshore Regatta, Madoda @ 8.30pm. Contact Dennis winning both individual and team “Big T” Tshabalala (011-717 9413) also in Durban, from 1-5 July. titles. WBC, only resuscitated in for tickets. 2014 after years in the doldrums, Wits Yacht Club’s Alexa Brown won bronze in the team section. reports that in recent weeks Tashlin and his CPUT partner won the club’s current and alumni the men’s doubles event and Lisa members participated in sev- Chen won the consolation singles eral events. These were Drew event. Below, they show off their Amoretti (club boatswain) and Bloem medal haul. Brennan Robinson (commodore 2012/13) in the Vasco da Gama offshore race from Maputo to For a detailed report on all

Durban from 19-22 June; Ricky three events follow the link Robinson and Brennan Robin- from the WYC web page. son assisted the WYC regulars

Witsies make GP, SA Evasan aims to Polish his Volleyballers help make USSA happen student volleyball squads game at WUC chess champs despite USSA QF exits A visit down to Hall 29 on any day during the USSA volleyball tournament week – from Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July - revealed, between all the action on court, a frenetic but cheerful atmosphere. Students from around the country could be found warming up, practicing moves, scrutinis- ing fixture schedules, or preparing to move between ven- ues. But preparing an USSA tournament can be nerve-wracking. Ask students Nomcebo Msweli (below centre) and Linah Wits women in action at Hall 29 against Monash Evasan Chettiar Rakgwale who came to the aid of sports officer Dennis Despite bowing out at the quarter- Wits Chess Club’s Evasan Chettiar Tshabalala to help organise this year’s annual USSA tourna- finals stage in this year’s USSA’s, will represent SA at the 13th World ment at Wits, while themselves preparing to play! Read both Wits’ men’s and women’s University Championships (WUC) their story on the Wits Volleyball club page. volleyball teams will be repre- chess tournament in Katowice, sented in the Gauteng provincial Poland, from 18-24 August. The and SA national student team championships are part of the squads. sporting events of the International Thandeka Tshabalala was called up University Sports Federation, or- to the national volleyball team, ganised every even-numbered year Zinhle Kunene made the Gauteng between the Summer and Winter provincial side, and Dominic Universiades. Follow Evasan’s pro- gress on Facebook: FISU World The finals, staged in OMSH, were University Championships and on contested by UCT and VUT (men) the internet www.fisu.net/World and VUT and UWC (women). University Championships

2 I N Wits women hockey’s good USSA run MEMORIAM

and losing only one. To boot, Witsie dents. That’s because Varsity Col- Wendy Panaino, with her two field lege, who earned the right to par- The coaches, players & goals and one penalty corner con- ticipate in the tournament by virtue of being pool winners, have not yet supporters of Wits Bas- concluded the necessary contractual ketball, and the staff of arrangements with the tournament SOLO CHARGE: Judy Thulumane leads a Wits organisers to take their place in the WitsSport honour the assault on Varsity College. The narrow 2-1 defeat to event. In 2015, therefore, both Wits’ the eventual section winners was Wits’ only loss of men’s and women’s teams will play memory of the late the week-long USSA tournament. WHO’S GOT MY BACK? Julia de Kock marshals her defensive line as Varsity Hockey. Wits launch another attack on the UWC goal. Wits won this 2nd Tshepo Manamela, Wits women made up for last year’s game of the tournament 5-1. unsatisfactory performance at their FINAL STANDINGS a faithful servant of uni- USSA’s by finishing second in the B- version, was amongst the section’s 1. Varsity College section of the 2014 edition of the top three goal-scorers. versity basketball Lala 2. Wits event. In the process, they ran even- And by a stroke of good fortune, 3. Rhodes Ngoxolo, Bra Tshepo, we tual section winners Varsity College Wits women’s hockey will return to 4. NWU Vaal very close in the national student Varsity Hockey—the country’s pre- will miss you. hockey championships. Wits ended mier competition for women stu- 5. UWC runners–up by winning four games 6. CPUT

Made it! Two Witsie ‘ballers named in USSA u21 squad

Witsie footballers Brylon Peter- League’s AmaTuesdayz inter- son (goalkeeper) and Bruce Mta- varsity provincial competition. bane (midfielder) have been The SA competition features u- named in the USSA squad to par- 21 selection teams from SAFA ticipate in the 15th annual South structures in all nine provinces, African Breweries u-21 Regional with the USSA team making up League National Championships the 10th side. This year the The 2014 Wits men student’s team (pic: Nqobile Dludla) tournament. The event runs from event will be staged at the UNW 14 to 20 July at NWU Mafikeng. front row) are regulars in the Wits in Mafikeng. The Western Cape are the tournament’s defending Witsie Zinhle Kunene was Both Brylon (third from right, back Students’ team that campaigns in selected to the Gauteng champions. provincial women’s volley- row) and Bruce (third from right, the USSA Gauteng Football ball team Wits Netball a step closer to reclaiming A-section status as Moloi bows out

In a tournament week that also saw net- Wits prepare to attack the TUT 2 goal in a game they lost narrowly lost 30-28 ball club chair Seriti Moloi step down and bow out of netball for the foreseeable future, Wits won three of their five games at the USSA’s at NMMU to keep alive the promise of reclaiming A-section status. Wits secured wins over UKZN (48-22) and WSU Ibika (45-32), lost narrowly to TUT 2 (28-30) and UL Medunsa (37-40) before bouncing back in their final game to beat NWU Mafikeng 27-20 and finish second in their 8-team B-section. At the end of the tournament Seriti Moloi, who replaced Lindiwe Radebe as chair of Wits Netball in 2014, announced she was her tenure to introduce Wits netballers to coach Martha Mosoahle will push for stepping down following her acceptance a stiffer level of competition, supporting greater accomplishments, but new netball of a scholarship that requires her to participation in the early-season expanded sports officer Lorraine Masibi will feel a achieve at a higher level and spend time Gauteng inter-varsity series, and moving positive start has been made. Congrats to as an intern. Moloi worked hard during to the local Ekhuruleni league. Doubtless, all, and a huge thank you to Seriti!

3 Wits amajita gear up for Marks Park football fest Mountain out on a limb Wits' Jonathan Jubber reports that the This year’s Johannesburg leg of the Engen sports officer for football Dennis Tsha- 2014 tournament held at Wits on 25 & 26 Knockout Challenge kicked off on Friday 18 balala, who is also tournament director, June was acclaimed by all as the best ever, July at Marks Park—it continues to Sunday says the university’s 11-year partnership thanks in part to the new climbing wall in 20th—to the rhythm of drums and the spec- with Engen has proven successful in help- the Old Mutual Sports Hall (OMSH), and tacle of energetic dancing by the Basotho ing many young hopefuls fulfil their foot- the expert routes set. This proved a set- dance troupe, the Flying Carpets. ball dreams. back for the Witsies however because it The groupings and fixtures draw for the third was their Dylan Vogt (pictured) who set event in South Africa’s leading youth football the routes, thereby ruling him out of competing for his team. NWU's Nkosi Nama, who won the men's lead competition, was the only one to make it to the end of the “It will be interesting to see how many route set by young talented players are identified this Dylan. year and who may be scouted to take the "Dylan set next step up into the professional ranks some amazing of the sport,” he says. routes that The five-leg tournament is played at ven- kept the other ues around the country. The E Cape section of the tournament was staged at the universities on Gelvandale Sport Complex in PE on 27-29 their toes - June, and the Free State event was held literally. He is at Grey College in Bloemfontein over the the strongest weekend of 4-6 July. It moved to Dur- climber we ban’s Highbury & Pegasus Sport Complex have and by far the strongest of all who on 11-13 July, and the last leg of the tour- attended," said Jubber. Wits' did manage nament will be held at Cape Town’s Wil- to bag silver in the women's boulder final. liam Herbert Sportsground from 1-3 Jonathan added that the teams were August. Hopes are high that a new crop 'blown away' by the quality of the wall and tournament was finalised at Wits Univer- of youngsters will emerge to follow in the want the event staged at Wits again next sity’s Sturrock Park sports complex on Wed 2 footsteps of Ajax Amsterdam’s Thulani year. July. The tournament is contested by SAFA’s Serero and S’sport United’s Ronwen Wil- FINAL RESULTS: 1st - Rhodes; leading u-17 teams. Wits University’s Marks liams Mokeke 2nd - NWU; 3rd - UP; 4th - Wits; 5th - UCT.

No fence-sitters, our Witsies Gymnastics USSA’s

Wits Fencing Club earned new gradings at the Club chair Richard Dobson (pictured left provincial ranking event held As for the re- below at the final dinner) reports that Wits sults, Wits won the following accolades at was again among the medals at the five- Gauteng Fencing Association Ranking 2: institution Gymnastics USSA’s held at UCT In the senior men's sabre, gold went to Wikus from 2-6 July. The final medals tally was Koen, while Justin Logie (gold), Koen (silver) down on last year’s haul though, partly due and Mikesh Harrilall (bronze) swept away all to taking a less experienced team than in opposition in the senior men’s foil. Harilall previous years. Some gymnasts also carried also bagged bronze in the senior men’s epee, slight injuries that affected their perform- and Heather Martens claimed bronze in the ance. women's epee. Wits won medals in all of the events that we entered. Participation from the girls was a bit lacking so we were unable to enter Senior Women's Foil and Senior Women's Sabre. The tournament went extremely smoothly, Medal winners from amongst the ten- and all events ran according to schedule, person squad were Marian de Pontes which is highly unusual for fencing! The GFA (bronze level 1 WAG), Mitchell Struwig was very pleased with the facilities and they (silver level 1 MAG), Catherine Honegger expressed much gratitude towards Wits. (bronze novice table-top trampoline), and There were a number of u20 and u17 events he himself won gold (senior Olympic level Barloworld Ford Bruma so there were many parents present and they MAG) and bronze (tumbling). Wits Alumnus Cumberland Rd/Eastgate Road were very happy with their experience of Wits Robyn Taylor won two golds for intermedi- Park Meadows Shopping University. One young man has asked to join ate tumbling and level 5 WAG. Competing our club and the parents of at least three ‘varsities alongside Wits and the hosts were Centre, Eastgate others said they would most likely enrol their UNW, Tuks and Maties. Tel: +27 11 607 5000 sons at Wits.