Sporting excellence to be recognised at Blues and Colours ceremony

Published On Tue 18 Mar 2014 by Grant Hill

Photo opportunity: 5.15pm on Tuesday, 18th March at Westpark Conference Centre. Professor Pete Downes will be presenting University athletes with Blues and Colours awards.

Student athletes from the University of Dundee will this evening have their achievements celebrated at the annual Blues and Colours Award Ceremony.

Dozens of athletes will receive Blues, Half-Blues, Colours and Merit awards, while prestigious prizes will be presented to those sportsmen and women who have excelled at the highest level of their chosen sport or who have otherwise made an exceptional contribution to sport at the University.

Professor Pete Downes, Principal of the University, will congratulate them on their performances when he makes the presentation at the Westpark Conference Centre on Tuesday, 18th March.

In all, 49 colours, 15 Half-Blues, 6 Full Blue and 25 Merit awards will be presented to students from 43 clubs following another successful year for Dundee University Sport, the partnership between the Institute of Sport & Exercise, and Dundee University Sports Union.

The Stewart Campbell Trophy will be awarded to Hannah Dines. Hannah took up Racerunning (an athletic discipline for disabled athletes using a customised tricycle frame without pedals, which removes the problem of balancing for the athletes) in late 2012, and has since become a four-time world record holder.

Most notably, she was selected for the National Squad and selected to attend the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport World Games (IWAS) in the Netherlands, where she placed 3rd in the 800m, 2nd in the 400 and 2nd in the 200m.

Hannah became the IWAS World Champion in 100m, winning Gold for her RR3 classification in the 100m and broke the World record for RR3 female. She has also currently in the conformation squad with GB paracycling with the aim of representing GB at Rio in 2016, and is currently undergoing training for selection.

Grant Murdoch, President of Dundee University Sports’ Union, said, “This ceremony is one of the highlights of the year for University sportspeople, an opportunity for the Sports Union and wider University community to celebrate our athletes and volunteers. It is for many the culmination of several years of hard work and commitment to Sport and it is a real honour to be a part of the ceremony.”

To be awarded a Colour, athletes must be a valuable member of the first team and need to serve and play in at least 85 per cent of matches for their club for at least two years. Half Blues are awarded to athletes who have performed well above average for a University first team, and who have been selected for a Scottish Universities representative squad or equivalent.

A Full Blue is reserved for athletes of outstanding ability whose performances have been of an international standard. Merit Awards are presented to athletes or committee members whose service for their club is exceptional.

Trophies for sporting excellence and outstanding voluntary dedication to club sport will also be presented.

These achievements will be further celebrated at the Blues and Colours Ball on Saturday, 29th March. The event will see the Club and Team of the Year and Most Progressive Club awards presented.

Over 2,400 students are matriculated in Dundee University Sports Union and display commitment to their sports whilst balancing their academic studies. The Blues and Colours Ball recognises the hours that students dedicate to their club both in an administrative and sporting capacity.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
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E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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