Thursday, July 23, will forever be a special day in the history of the High School for Girls Potchefstroom, as one of its greatest alumna was honoured posthumously.

The newly resurfaced hockey Astroturf at Potch Girls High will now be known as the Lesley Cowan Astro Turf.

Cowan was a former learner and teacher at Girls High and the driving force behind the development of a hockey Astroturf at the school. This dream was achieved in the mid-2010s under the leadership of former headmistress, Ms Eliza Meyer.

Cowan lost her life in a motor vehicle accident in 2019.

It was fitting that Ms Meyer returned to the school to unveil the newly laid AstroTurf alongside the current headmistress, Ms Melanie Scholtz.

“As a young boarder, Lesley Cowan (née Pines), together with her sisters and fellow boarders, spent countless hours clearing stones from the site where the school’s original grass hockey field would be established. Her father, Mr Pines, played his part too, bringing his tractor to prepare the ground. Decades later, it is on this very same site that our Astroturf stands,” stated the High School for Girls Potchefstroom on its Facebook page.

Cowan returned to the school as an educator and dedicated 28 years of service to the school. She also had a vision and dream of establishing a world-class hockey facility at Girls High.

Ferdies played matches against Girls High to open the newly resurfaced turf on a fitting note.

“Thank you, Mrs Cowan, for dreaming big for Girls High. Your legacy lives on.”