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09 May 2025 | Story Vuyelwa Mbebe and Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Hannes Naude
Mthi Mthimkhulu
Mthi Mthimkhulu from the University of the Free State, finishing first in the men’s 400-metre race, surpassing NWU runners-up.

The University of the Free State (UFS) athletics team secured a top five slot at the 2025 University Sports South Africa (USSA) Track and Field Championships, earning fourth place at the event, hosted at the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria from 1 to 3 May.

University athletes from across South Africa gathered for the championships, which is a key fixture on the USSA calendar. After delivering stellar performances across a broad spectrum of events, UFS went up against 21 other participating universities in various track and field categories.

The standout female athletes at this year’s event were Gabriella Marais, Nicola Gibbon, Lizandré Mulder, and Tyla Wasmüth. Marais scored a first-place finish in the women’s 100-metre race and came second in the women’s 200-metre category. Gibbon, who participated in the women’s 400-metre category, scored third position. Mulder took third and first place in the 5 000-metre and 3 000-metre women’s steeplechase categories respectively. Wasmüth placed in the top three in the women’s shot put and discus throw.

The male athletes who stood out by grabbing first-place wins in their respective categories were Mthi Mthimkhulu in the men’s 400-metre race, Molifi Mohlomi in the men’s 800-metre race, and Wernich van Rensburg in the men’s 400-metre hurdles. Dumisani Motloung took third place in the men’s 1500-metre category, and Samkelo Dlamini took second place for the long jump field sports category.

KovsieSport’s Kesaoleboga Molotsane, UFS Sport Manager for athletics, said the UFS coaching staff need to be kept motivated, as they are the first point of contact with their sports stars. “Unlike team sports, we work with individual athletes who require different and various attention. We only need to motivate the athletes to continue working hard, to study hard, and balance out their responsibilities.” She added that individual performances and athlete placements all helped UFS achieve its overall fourth place at the USSA Championships.

Kovsies can look forward to seeing Mthi Mthimkulu at the World Athletics Relays championships, taking place in China this weekend (10 and 11 May). He’ll be representing South Africa and will be the only Kovsie attending.

Mthimkhulu, Marais, and Van Renburg have also qualified for the upcoming World University Games, to be held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, in July. Molotsane encouraged fellow Kovsies to support these and other UFS athletes, whose journeys reflect the spirit of Kovsie athletics.

News Archive

First Kovsie. First Free Stater. First Female. Prof Driekie Hay makes history.
2014-06-10

 
Prof Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Open and Lifelong Innovative Higher Education, was elected to the Board of the Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV). It is the first time in the history of the ATKV that someone from our university – as well as from the Free State – has been elected to the Board.

To date, only a few women have been nominated.

“I see this election as recognition of the UFS’s vision to act as a national role player and make a difference through its Human Project and its pursuit of social justice and reconciliation,” says Prof Hay.

She was appointed in the cultural expert portfolio during the ATKV’s Annual General Meeting from 28 to 29 May 2014. In this position Prof Hay has to promote the Afrikaans language and culture on a national level – through an inclusive approach. Prof Hay’s goal is to build bridges between the different language and cultural groups. She would like to establish greater understanding between the various groups in our country. She feels it is important to give shape to “a new generation of South Africans that are no longer threatened by ‘otherness’, but will cherish the treasure of diversity.”

This appointment isn’t only a great honour, but also endorses Prof Hay’s expertise. “On a personal and professional level, this appointment means that they have confidence in my expertise, outlook on life and experience” she says.

Prof Hay will serve on the Board of the ATKV for a three-year term.

The ATKV is a cultural organisation with four main focus areas:

  • language,
  • the arts,
  • communities and
  • education.

 


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