Top Marks for Stirling at Scottish Student Sport Awards

It was almost a clean sweep for Stirling at the Scottish Student Sport Awards this week as athletes and coaches claimed the titles of Team, Male Athlete and Coach of the Year at the co-ordinating body’s flagship annual event.

The Golf 1st Team led the way, winning the Team of the Year Award for the second year in a row. That comes on the back of dominating the Scottish Student Sport Team Championships as well as a number of individual events throughout the season.

Olympic medallist, Duncan Scott, was a deserved recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year title following an extraordinary 12 months which has seen him secure double silver in Rio, Scottish and British titles and records at domestic championships, as well as selection for the upcoming FINA World Championships in Budapest.

Rounding-off the accolades were Stirling’s High Performance Swimming coaches Steve Tigg and Ben Higson, who have led the programme to unprecedented levels of success since taking charge, who were named Coach of the Year.

As one of the highlights of Scottish Student Sport’s annual conference, the Awards celebrate the success of student sport in Scotland both on and off the field, recognising volunteers, athletes and coaches as well as the institutions themselves.

Commenting on the Stirling success at the event, Cathy Gallagher, Director of Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “The suite of awards is testament to the dedication, talent and commitment of our students, coaches and clubs.  As well as succeeding on the field of play, all the winners brilliantly represent the principles and philosophies of Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

“The Golf Team has been leading the way at university level in Scotland, Britain and Europe for some time now and the mentoring, guidance and tutelage provided by High Performance Coach, Dean Robertson, is integral to the continued success and development of the students.

“Duncan’s achievements over the past year have been unrivalled in Scottish student sport and beyond. The role played by High Performance Swim Coaches, Ben Higson and Steven Tigg, has been widely lauded and they have proven themselves a formidable team.  These latest accolades reflect another fantastic year for our world-class swimming programme.

“We are delighted to receive this recognition from Scottish Student Sport and congratulations to all the winners on the night.”

Visit the University’s Performance Sport pages for more information about Stirling’s world-renowned, International Sport Scholarship Programme.