Swimmers were the big winners at the University of Pretoria Sports Awards last week.

The Olympic star swimmer, gold medal winner at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and three-time medallist at the recent World Aquatics Championships, Pieter Coetzé, was named Bestmed Sportsman of the Year.

Another Olympic swimmer, Kaylene Corbett is Bestmed Sportswoman of the Year, while both Coetzé and Corbett’s coach, Rocco Meiring, was named Coach of the Year for an individual sport.

TuksSwimming was also named the Club of the Year. The club swimmers medalled at every event (locally and internationally) at which they competed.

Coetzé is only the second South African swimmer to win three medals at a World Championships. He is the 100m backstroke world champion and was second in the 200m backstroke and the 50m backstroke. In the space of seven days, he improved the African record in the 50m backstroke (24.17s), 100m backstroke (51.85s), and 200m backstroke (1:53.36) during the World Championships. At the World University Games, he won the 50 m and 100 m backstroke events. He was second in the 100m freestyle.

Kaylene Corbett steped up to win bronze in the 200m breaststroke at the World Championships.

Meiring is the only South African coach to have led more than one swimmer to a World Championship medal. He also coached Tatjana Smith, the 200m breaststroke champion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and world record holder in this event.

Meiring confessed that, to him, there is no greater satisfaction than when his swimmers achieve the goals they have set themselves.

“I like the challenge that comes with coaching. It’s stimulating,” he remarked after the recognition he and his swimmers received.

Colette Uys, the Bestmed Student Sportswoman of the Year, won a bronze medal in the women’s shot put at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany.

Earlier this season, during the South African Senior Track & Field Championships in Potchefstroom, she achieved what few athletes have ever done.  Colette medalled in three events. She won gold in the shot put and discus events and silver in the hammer throw. At the USSA Athletics Championships in Tshwane, she won all three events.

Calvin Davis was named the Bestmed Student Sportsman of the Year. In the past five years, Tuks’ men’s hockey team have been crowned USSA champions four times.  Davis played in three of those finals. He has captained the team in the last two finals and also represented South Africa on the international stage.

Lizanne Jacobs, who coached the TuksWomensRugby 15s team to contest the 2025 Women’s Varsity Cup and USSA Rugby finals, was named the Coach of the Year for a team sport.

Under her guidance, Tuks also clinched the Women’s Carlton League title.

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