Kearsney shines in Mathematics Olympiad, sports stars excel

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21 November 2025

(Proudly displaying their certificates from the South African Mathematics Olympiad are Kearsney’s head of the Mathematics, Rakubu Sokana, and Maths’ teacher Sue Hotz, with Mukona Marageni, Matthew Behrens, and Thomas Schulze. Shavanth Chelladu was unavailable for the photo)

Mathematics’ stars

Kearsney College has built up a well-earned reputation for academic excellence, with its mathematics’ achievements especially catching the eye. In a country known to have its challenges in the subject, Kearsney’s learners deliver results substantially above the norm.

That was again the case when Kearsney was named the top school in KwaZulu-Natal in the prestigious South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) for a sixth year in succession.

Thomas Hagspihl, chair of the SAMO, said the school’s continued success highlights the strength of its
mathematics teaching.

“Kearsney has done exceptionally well again this year,” Hagspihl said. “They are clearly teaching not only the curriculum but are introducing challenging maths’ problems to extend and stimulate.

“Without training, pupils will struggle for success in the Olympiad.”

At the national awards ceremony held in Johannesburg, Kearsney was recognised as the top-performing
school in KZN for the sixth year on the trot. The school also placed an outstanding third overall in South Africa.

Kearsney students Thomas Schulze, Mukona Marageni, and Shavanth Chelladu were ranked among the
Top 100 candidates nationally after completing the demanding third-round paper.

Marageni also achieved the distinction of being ranked the third-best senior student in KwaZulu-Natal.

Further demonstrating the school’s depth of talent, Matthew Behrens was named the top senior student on the KZN Siyanqoba team at the Interprovincial South African Mathematics Team Competition.

Rugby aces

While Kearsney’s learners demonstrated their academic excellence, the school also celebrated three of its learners being called up for South African Rugby’s u17 Elite Player Development Squad.

Clement Makelele, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, and Lwazi Mbebe will join 58 top players from around the country, at a development camp at Boland Landbou, in Paarl, from 28 November to 5 December.

Power-packed performer

As if that was not enough, the Botha’s Hill school enjoyed success on a world stage when Sean Rowan, in grade 10, won gold in his division at the WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Durban earlier this month.

Competing in the Classic Raw Teen 2 (16-17) under 82.5kg category, he achieved a 135kg back squat, 70kg bench press, and 145kg deadlift for a total of 350kg.

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