Fine turnout at Pupkewitz Gala 

The Pupkewitz Schools Gala saw a fine turnout with more than 500 swimmers from Windhoek competing at the Olympia Swimming Pool over the weekend. 

Several more swimmers participated simultaneously at Swakopmund and Oranjemund in the long-running gala which was held for the 54th year.

Deutsche Höhere Privat Schule (DHPS) was the top school, winning both the primary and secondary school categories. 

They won the primary school category with 570 points, followed by St Paul’s Primary School on 502 and Windhoek Gymnasium Primary School on 331 points, while DHPS won the secondary schools category with 514 points, followed by Windhoek Gymnasium on 256 and St Georges Secondary School  on 176 points. 

A total of 12 primary and 10 secondary schools competed in Windhoek, where nine individual records and three relay records were established.

Oelof Badenhorst of Windhoek Gymnasium Primary School was in great form as he established four new records in the boys 10 and under category. 

He broke the 50m freestyle record of 33,21 seconds with a new time of 32,13 seconds; the 50m backstroke record of 38,61 with a time of 37,47; the 50m breaststroike record of 41,90 with a new time of 40,45 and the 50m butterfly record of 35,84 seconds with a time of 33,88 seconds. 

Nele Erni of DHPS broke two records in the girls eight and under category. 

She broke the 50m freestyle record of 38,20 seconds with a new time of 37,96 seconds, and the 50m butterfly record of 44,64 with a new time of 43,46. 

Rodney Feris of St Georges Secondary School set a new record of 25,97 seconds in the boys 14 and under 50m freestyle, breaking Jose Canjulo’s five-year-old record of 26,01 seconds. 

In the boys 16 and under 50m butterfly category, Ronan Wantenaar’s seven-year-old record of 27,49 seconds was broken on two occasions. 

Lorenzo Esterhuizen of IA Academy set a new mark of 27,08 seconds, which was also equalled by Michael Bauernschmidt of Windhoek Gymnasium Secondary School.

Three more relay records were established in Windhoek. 

In the girls 8 and under category the St Paul’s Primary Schools team broke one of the longest standing records on the books in the 200m freestyle. Their time of 2:55,21 broke the former mark of 3:01,16 which was set by the SWA schools team way back in 1986. 

In the boys 14 and under category the DHPS secondary school team broke the former record of 1:58,35 with a new time of 1:57,81, and in the boys 16 and under 200m freestyle, the Windhoek Gymnasium Secondary School team broke the former record of 1:50,94 with a new time of 1:43,15.