The University of Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme (ISSP) has confirmed 88 athletes in its 30th anniversary year.
First established in 1981, the programme provides tailored funding and support services to students competing in six core sports: football, golf, swimming, tennis, taekwondo and triathlon.
Famous ISSP alumni include LPGA golfer Catriona Matthew, whose career earnings total almost $7 million, and current ATP World Tour tennis player Colin Fleming, as well as Olympic, World and Commonwealth medallists.
In the past year, the programme supported 27 current national champions and saw six students compete at the World University Games in China.
No fewer than 23 athletes have been welcomed onto the 2011-12 programme, such as golfer Mathias Eggenberger from Liechtenstein and Commonwealth Games swimmer Cameron Brodie, from Inverurie, while returning athletes include talented triathlete Natalie Milne.
The Sports Studies student, pictured, enjoyed an impressive season: earning a silver medal in the British Universities Sprint Triathlon Championships; finishing fifth overall in the women’s rankings of the British Triathlon Super Series and winning both the Scottish national sprint and standard distance events.Natalie, 22, from Stirling, said: “I was really pleased with how my year went, starting with an unexpected result at BUCS and my form just seemed to carry on from there. Hopefully this season, I can build on this and compete in some big races abroad where the standard is even higher.
“This is my fourth year supported by a University of Stirling sports scholarship. I chose to come to Stirling because of the opportunity to be able to train and get a qualification at the same time. It has been great as I get excellent support from the national coaches and all the training facilities are based here.”
Scholarship athletes benefit from a bespoke training programme delivered by highly trained performance coaches and further sports science services such as strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology.
They also receive funding to cover competition costs and are supported as they train and compete on campus at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence and across the globe.
The programme links into national performance programmes in partnership with: the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA); Scottish and British Swimming; the Scottish FA and triathlonscotland.
Further support is also provided courtesy of: Falkirk Academy; The Gleneagles Hotel; The Macleod Foundation; Milnes Holden Trust; The R&A; The Robertson Trust; Scottish Football Partnership; Sodexo, the Taylor Foundation and Vision Outsourcing.
Sports Performance Manager Raleigh Gowrie said: “This announcement marks another proud milestone for the International Sports Scholarship Programme, which gives developing athletes the platform to excel in their sport and their studies.
“Many scholarship graduates now compete across the world, while others have gone on to pursue excellent careers in their area of expertise. I wish the athletes all the best for the year ahead at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence and thank the many sponsors of the programme; without their backing we could not deliver such a high quality package of support.”
2011-12 ISSP ATHLETES
Athletes listed by sport (degree programme in brackets):
Men’s Football
Liam Corr (BA Sports Studies); Daniel Denholm (BA Sports Studies); James Drummond (BA Sports Studies); Jake Fifer (BA Sports Studies); Chris Geddes (HND Sports Coaching, Forth Valley College); Eddie Hines (MSc Sports Management); Stephen Hoyle (BA Psychology); Craig Mason (BA Sports Studies); Kieran McCaffrey (BA History); Chris McKee (BA Law); Blair McWhirter (BA Finance); Jack Nixon (BA Sports Studies); Joseph Parish (BA Business Studies); Emmot Parr-Gallagher (BA Sports Studies); Robert Pearson (BA Sports Studies); Michael Pentland (MSc Sports Management); Matt Sheridan (BA Sports Studies); Kevin Walker (BA Human Resource Management).
Women’s football
Lee Alexander (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Frankie Brown (MPhil Sports Studies); Sarah Crilly (BA Sports Studies); Lisa Evans (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Molly McKean (BA Sociology and Criminology); Lauren McMurchie (BA Sports Studies); Eilish McSorley (BA Sports Studies), Emma Mitchell (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Christie Murray (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Khym Ramsay (BA Sports Studies); Jane Ross (MPhil Sports Studies); Emily Thomson (BA Sports Studies), Kimberley Thomson (BA Sports Studies, Physical Education and Professional Education).
Golf
Harriet Beasley (BA Sports Studies); David Booth (MSc Sports Management); Eilidh Briggs (BA Sports Studies, Physical Education and Professional Education); Angus Carrick (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Alexander Culverwell (BA Business Studies); Mathias Eggenberger (BA Marketing and Sports Studies); Jordana Graham (BA Sports Studies); Kit Holmes (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Michael Howard (BSc Environmental Geography); Kelsey MacDonald (BA Sports Studies); Mhairi McKay (BA Business and Sports Studies); Hannah McCook (BA Marketing and Sports Studies); Jack McDonald (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Dewi Mercx (BA International Politics); Oliver Roberts (BA History and Sports Studies); Graeme Robertson (BA Marketing and Sports Studies); Bobby Rushford (MSc Sports Management); Patrick Spraggs (BA Sports Studies); Darren Timms (BA Business Studies and Law); Rebecca Wilson (BA Sports Studies).
Swimming
Eloise Barber (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Ryan Bennett (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Cameron Brodie (BA Sports Studies); Clare Dawson (MSc Child Development); Callum Hillicks (BA Criminology); Danielle Huskisson (BA Sports Studies); Calum McGhee (BA Law and Sports Studies); Ross Muir (BAcc Accountancy); Jamie Ross (BA Law); Douglas Scott (BSc Mathematics and Economics; Jak Scott (BAcc Accountancy and Business Law); Lewis Smith (BA Sports Studies); Josh Walsh (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Joseph Welstead (BSc Management)
Taekwondo
Dale Rhodie (MSc Sports Management)
Tennis
Aimee Black (BA History and Politics); Julie Dalgetty (BSc Sports Studies, Physical Education and Professional Education); Richards Emulins (MSc Sports Management); Joseph Gill (MSc Sports Management); Nick Hatchett (MSc Sports Management); Cameron Malik (BA Sports Studies); Jordan McCulloch (BA Sports Studies); Jack Paterson (BSc Biology and Economics); Hannah Pickford (BA Sports Studies); Jamie Catriona Smith (BSc Sport and Exercise Science); Nicolas Rosenzweig (MSc Sports Coaching); Adam Stevenson (BAcc Accountancy); Jordan Young (BA Sports Studies and Business Studies).
Triathlon
Marc Austin (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Rory Downie (BA Sports Studies); Andrew Hood (BSc Mathematics and Biology); Duncan MacArthur (BAcc Accountancy and Business Studies); Cameron Milne (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Natalie Milne (BA Sports Studies); Grant Sheldon (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Greg Turner (BSc Mathematics and its Applications); Russell White (BA Professional Education (Primary) with specialism in the Environment).
Athlete profiles and programme information can be viewed at: www.sportingexcellence.stir.ac.uk/performance-sport/scholarships