Sporting students from the University of Stirling have been bolstered in their bid for Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth success.
Forty-four talented athletes studying at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence have been selected for a prestigious national sports scholarship from Winning Students.
The students will receive tailored support this academic year including funding and academic flexibility to help them achieve their potential.
Students to gain support in 2012-13 include Jack McDonald, recently crowned Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year and Scott McCowan, who represented Team GB in Boccia at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Scotland international footballer Jane Ross, an MPhil Sports Studies student, also welcomed the support. “This is my fourth year as a Winning Students sports scholar and the support it provides has been crucial in helping me throughout my undergraduate and now postgraduate study,” explained the 23-year-old, who trains on campus at the Scottish FA Women’s Football Performance Centre, established in partnership with Winning Students.
“The support makes it easier to focus on our sport and our studies and I have definitely developed in both since becoming a Winning Students scholar.”
The scholarship roster was announced at the Stirling Sports Village where support from Winning Students has helped to establish a national training hub for elite curlers in partnership with Scottish and British Curling.
Now in its fifth year, eleven current and former Winning Students were competing at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. At the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, no fewer than 29 Winning Students represented their countries, with two gold medals and one silver placing the scholarship programme equivalent to 18th place in the final standings.
Many students are now turning their attention to gaining selection for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and new recruits to the programme will be buoyed by a recent survey of the programme revealing 62% of students cited an improvement to their sporting performance since gaining scholarship support.
Winning Students Programme Co-ordinator Jason Atkins said: “Winning Students is delighted to play its part in developing sporting talent ahead of so many major sporting events. Scotland’s colleges and universities are packed with sporting talent and the support ensures these students can also prepare for successful careers after sport.”
For more information on Winning Students, visit: www.winningstudents-scotland.ac.uk
Stirling students to gain support are:
| Football | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lee Alexander | Chloe Arthur | Fiona Brown |
| Frankie Brown | Emma Brownlie | Kelly Clark |
| Sarah Crilly | Megan Cunningham | Molly McKean |
| Lauren McMurchie | Eilish McSorley | Emma Mitchell |
| Heather Richards | Jane Ross | Emily Thomson |
| Golf | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eilidh Briggs | Craig Howie | Kelsey MacDonald |
| Hannah McCook | Jack McDonald | Graeme Robertson |
| Swimming | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Bennett | Cameron Brodie | Danielle Huskisson |
| Ross Muir | Ross Murdoch | Douglas Scott |
| Jak Scott | Lewis Smith | Josh Walsh |
| Joseph Welstead | ||
| Tennis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Graeme Dyce | Calum Gee | Joe Gill |
| Nick Rosenzweig | ||
| Triathlon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Marc Austin | Duncan MacArthur | Cameron Milne |
| Natalie Milne | Grant Sheldon | Greg Turner |
| Boccia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scott McCowan | ||
| Canoe Slalom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amber Maslin | ||
| Athletics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colette Martin | ||