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Top achiever in the 2024 matric exams is a Kovsie

16 January 2025 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Supplied

Jurie Blignaut, top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in SA and finalist of the UFS 2024 Matriculant of the Year competition.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that the top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in the country, Jurie Blignaut, will be studying towards an MBChB at the UFS from 2025.

Blignaut, a pupil of the Rustenburg High School, was one of the 14 finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition.

“Congratulations to Jurie on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to welcoming him and our cohort of 2025 first-year students to our campuses,” says Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS.

Boasting 11 distinctions and an average of 96,5%, Blignaut is not only an exceptional academic achiever but also participates in several cultural activities. He was the winner of the Kovsie Alumni Trust’s special award for personal cultural achievement in the final round of the competition. This head boy of his school is an excellent public speaker and musician.

Blignaut’s highest achievement in public speaking was his national second place in last year’s ATKV public speaking competition in the section for Afrikaans home language. He plays the cello and has performed solo with the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, was part of the school choir and band, and participated in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival.

“On behalf of the university management, I would also like to congratulate Dr Mantlhake Maboya, MEC for Education in the Free State, and her executive team on the Free State being the top-achieving province in South Africa,” says Prof Rhoda.

Other finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition who excelled during the matric exams include Susan Bender from Voortrekker High School – top achiever in the Free State province – and Chris Goosen from Grey College Secondary School, who is also one of the top achievers in the Free State.

News Archive

Sport results: Tennis, Netball, badminton, athletics

2009-05-05

During the Mega-intervarsity Tournament held at Sun City last week, both the University of the Free State’s (UFS) men’s and women’s tennis teams beat their opponents. The Kovsies women’s team beat the Pukke 15-0, Tukkies 15-1 and Maties 12-5. The Kovsies men’s team beat their respective opponents as follows: Maties A 12-6, Maties B 15-0, Pukke A 9-7, Tukkies A 14-1 and Pukke B 15-0. Janine de Kock from KovsieSport said that she was satisfied with these achievements. “For the past two years the women have won the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament and now again this tournament. What makes this achievement special is the fact that it was the first tournament that four of the women’s team members played for the UFS.” “I am also very satisfied with the achievements of the men’s team. They ended sixth in last year’s USSA tournament. This year, at a tournament where the top four universities in terms of tennis were present, they won,” said Janine.
	Rensia Henning in action during the Mega-intervarsity Tournament that took place at Sun City last week. Photos: Jeanine de Kok
Netball: Hard work gets rewarded - (April 2009) Three Kovsies were selected from the South African National Netball team to the Senior Top 12 Team that will represent South Africa at the SPAR Challenge, a three nation’s test series against Botswana and Fiji. These matches will take place towards the end of May in Pretoria. The three students are Elzet Engelbrecht, Maryka Holtzhausen, en Adele Niemand. Kovsie students compete at badminton championships One former student from the University of the Free State (UFS) Chris Dednam, and one current Kovsie student Annari Viljoen are included in the National Badminton Team that represented South Africa from 17 to 24 April 2009 at the All Africa Badminton Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. They also participated in the Kenya International Championships from 25 to 27 April 2009. Chris Dednam and Annari Viljoen and with them Roelof Dednam, also a former Kovsie student, were included in the team that will participate at the Sudirman Cup in Guangzhou, China. The Sudirman Cup that will take place from 10 to 17 May 2009 is the world mixed team badminton championship and takes place every two years. Kovsie athletes win medals Kovsie athletes excelled at the South African Students Athletics Championships (USSA) that was held in Stellenbosch by winning a total of 15 medals. The medal winners are: Gold: Thuso Mpuang for the 200m, Johan Cronjè for the 1 500m, Maryna Swanepoel for the half marathon and Marizette Badenhorst for hammer throw. Silver: Thuso Mpuang for the 100m, Johan Cronjè for the 5 000m, Charles le Roux for triple jump, Ronè Reynecke for the 800m, and Abongile Lerotholi for 1 500m. Bronze: Kagisho Kumbane for 100m and 200m, Boy Soke for half marathon, Charles le Roux for long jump, Thandi Malindi for the 3 000m steeple chase, and Marike Steyn for triple jump. In the team competition the Kovsie men’s team received third place and the women’s team fourth place.

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