Megan Keith, European under-23 10,000m record holder, and winner of the European Cross Country title in the same age-group by a record margin, heads a list of Scottish champions and prospects who will benefit from a scholarship programme.
Pictured at the launch are CEO of sportscotland Forbes Dunlop; Cathy Gallagher Chair of Winning Students 100; Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Stirling; Eileen Schofield, Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary, University of Stirling; CEO of Scottish Funding Council, Sharon Drysdale, Megan Keith (athlete), Lewis Stewart (athlete), Louise Duncan (athlete) and Ollie Carter (athlete).
Winning Students 100 aims to ensure studies can be balanced with high performance training and competition with grants of up to £3,000.
Re-launched with a new injection of funding from sportscotland and the Scottish Funding Council the programme will also work with respective colleges and universities to offer additional support such as academic flexibility.
New scholars for the revamped programme include current Olympic champion, Hailey Duff (curling), Paralympic medallist, Lewis Stewart (cycling), Commonwealth gold medallist, Grace Reid (diving) and Britain’s first ever Para Nordic World medallist, Scott Meenagh (biathlon) as well as Megan Keith.
Established in 2008, the original Winning Students programme saw over 1,700 scholarships awarded during its first phase of funding with noteworthy alumni including Olympic medallists Laura Muir (athletics), Duncan Scott (swimming), Vicky Wright and Bruce Mouat (both curling) benefitting.
With funding secured until 2028, it is expected 500 scholarships will be awarded over the period with the programme also introducing a hardship fund to offer additional support to eligible student athletes.
Some 106 scholarships have been awarded for 2023-24 across 28 different sports and 21 universities and colleges.
Megan said: “I really appreciate the generous support from Winning Students 100 for the upcoming year. In what is looking like an exciting year of competitions, the scholarship will help fund the travel required to train and compete to the best of my ability”
List of Winning student awardees continuing from 2022-23 include the following locally based competitor:
University of Edinburgh – Kara Hanlon (swimming), Niamh Hunter and Eilidh Campbell (orienteering).
Heriot Watt University – Lisa Aitken (squash).
Latest recipients:
University of Edinburgh – Megan Keith, Alyson Bell, Sarah Calvert (all athletics), Isla Bethune (canoeing), Grace Reid, Danny Mabbott , Angus Menmuir, Clara Kerr (all diving), Ellen Buckley, Isaac McKerr (both fencing), Sophie Hinds, Kerr Robb, Lunjika Nyirenda, Calum Douglas (all hockey), Oliver Short (judo), Hannah Supple, Alexander Paton, Grace Dawson, Isla MacCallum, Josephine Briggs, James Deardon, Freddy Foxwell, Oliver Holme, Joshua Matthews (all rowing). Shona Campbell (rugby sevens), Lucy Evans (shooting), Archie Goodburn, Thomas Carswell, Ciara Scholsshan (all swimming), Isla Hedley (triathlon).
Napier University – Lauren Bell (cycling).Edinburgh College – Jaimie Cook (fencing), Samuel Downie (swimming),
Heriot Watt University – Sunny Doig, James Gray and Jacob Callaghan (all judo), Andrew Goodall (climbing), Andrew Glen (squash).
- Other capital athletes may have been recognised out of academic institutions around Scotland.
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