Holy Rosary school was a hot contender during Athletics this season, with Caitlyn Dukoff-Gordon ranked as Central Gauteng’s top U18 girls’ 800m athlete and the third fastest in the country.
She said, “In the beginning, it was very hard. I started off a bit late, but in the end peaked at the right time. I just improved throughout the season.”
We are very proud of the tenacity and perseverance she displayed. She demonstrated “True Blue” Holy Rosary qualities.
South Africa Schools – Athletics Season
Top private schools in Gauteng compete in the SA School’s League. Holy Rosary joined this tough new Athletics league earlier in 2026. Girls like Caitlyn and our present Head Girl, Samantha Ikegwuonu, are proving that we’re up there with the best.
Holy Rosary participated in these SA School’s athletics events this season:
- We first participated at the Greater Germiston event
- Next, the winners went to District (d17) Champs
- We then to Gauteng Champs
- Followed by SA Champs
- The winners then participate at the Cossasa Games
Other big athletics events we participated at, in 2026, include the Curro Podium, NWU Top 30 and Wildeklawer Grey-Orania. Cheering the competitors on is great fun for the whole family.
Outdoing her own Personal Best (PB)
Choosing Athletics as a School Sport
Caitlyn Dukoff-Gordon started collecting medals at athletics events around South Africa, including a gold medal for Team SA at the Confederation of Schools Sports of Southern Africa (COSSASA) Games in Eswatini last year.
During the recent track and field season, the Bedfordview Edenvale News reported that “after a slow start, Dukoff-Gordon lit up the Germiston Stadium track with a string of blistering performances during the CGA track and field league phase, eventually claiming gold at the championships at UJ Athletics Stadium in 2:18.14.”
Gail, Caitlyn’s Mom, told us that her coach didn’t put pressure on her. At the beginning of the season, it was hard for her to be behind everyone else, but pacing herself meant that she didn’t peak early and remained strong.
She outperformed her previous record when she reached a new personal best time of 2:08.47, winning a bronze medal at the ASA age-group track and field championships at Germiston Stadium.
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is an inspiration for Caitlyn and she dreams of getting a sports scholarship and even competing at the Olympics one day.
Gail told us how Caitlyn got started: “She loved running.”
At Holy Rosary, girls are encouraged to find sports they enjoy. When you find the things you enjoy doing, you discover hidden talents.
When Caitlyn felt discouraged, her Mom reminded her that she did athletics because she enjoyed it and that was more important than winning. They didn’t put any pressure on her.
As a school sport, athletics offers a wide range of activities:
- Track and field events are available in the summer season
- Cross-country starts in winter
- Triathlons and other “fun runs” are held throughout the year
Caitlyn also recently joined a new Championships Cross Country League, which involves relay based team races – good for learning team skills.
One of the best reasons to choose athletics as a school sport is because running trains fitness skills. At Holy Rosary, good athletes do well at multiple sports. For example, Caitlyn played hockey and netball, too, but has now chosen to focus on athletics and triathlons.
If you’d like to ask a question about athletics as a school sport at Holy Rosary, please contact us.