The university’s sports’ union has jumped an incredible 70 places to be ranked 13 in the British Universities Sports Association league after some sterling winter performances by outstanding sportsmen and women in the student body.
Louise Hartley, skier, was first for the British Universities Sports Association in the British dry slope ski championships and second in the competition to a student from Trinity in Edinburgh. Karen Rigby won the short course swimming for BUSA - 50 metres butterfly clinching the silver medal. And the Gaelic football team won the silver medal in Scottish universities championships reaching the quarter finals in the British.
The university boxing club also claimed two gold medals at the Scottish universities boxing championships in Glasgow. The super heavyweight title went to Mark Ashworth a second year psychology student (6"8 and 124 Kg) who won the gold medal by 12-0 points. The light heavyweight competition was business as usual with British universities champion Mark Houston winning all three of his fights, two of them knockouts, to claim the title.
Stelios Tzedakis, sports union president said: "This high ranking is due to some outstanding individuals we have in the sports union. It is great news for the university."
Two rugby team mates nearly came head to head in the six nations championships as Alasdair Dickinson and Neil McComb lined up in the under 21s match between Scotland and Ireland in Dundee. Alasdair, a second year geography student turned out for Scotland while his Dundee high school FP team mate Neil McComb, a first year psychology student started on the bench for Ireland. The students narrowly missed locking horns as Alasdair was rested just before Neil came on to the pitch.
The Irish won 13-5 at Mayfield Park. Alasdair is supported by the Scottish Institute of Sport and Neil is an excel scholar at the institute of sport and exercise.
In a tournament run by Elmwood College last week David Watt, Mike Clinch, Jonathan Todd and Alistair Rogers of the university golf club took first place - the only team that put a score in because the weather was so bad. The golf bursars intend to challenge the staff golf team Rob Ford, David Brand, Philip Cohen and Nick Wade to a match in springtime...watch this space.