2024 Blues and Colours Awards Shortlists

Angus MacLeod - Badminton

Angus has been a member of the Badminton Club for 6 years, serving on the committee for 5 of those years, and on the SU executive committee for 3 consecutive years. He played a significant role in adapting to changing regulations during COVID-19, allowing 170 students to play Badminton safely. Angus organised the club's largest charity event, raising £2,000 for CALM, and created the first Badminton Ball and Ceilidh. Additionally, he has consistently led recreational sessions and open training, while also playing and progressing from the 6th team to the 3rd team.

Ava Lehane - Women's Football

Ava has been the Women’s Football Club Treasurer for 3 years, also serving as Treasurer for Ultimate Frisbee in 2022/23 and the Sports Union Honorary Treasurer in 2023/24. She has improved club processes and supported Ultimate Frisbee with financial planning, focusing on cost efficiencies for away trips. Ava is known for her enthusiasm in promoting club campaigns and charity efforts, welcoming new members, and encouraging active participation.

Hannah Gray - Snowsports

In 5 years with the Snowsports Club, Hannah has been Club President twice and Ski Race Coach for 3 years. As President, she has consistently promoted a welcoming and inclusive environment. She has worked to make Snowsports more accessible by arranging kit and lessons for new members and introducing additional sessions. Hannah also secured £5,000 from the university's widening participation fund to support Snowsports trips. She is an experienced racer, competing for the club on many occasions often winning medals. She organised an event for over 700 people, raising more than £2,640 for the SnowCamp charity.

Thomas Busby - Basketball

Tom has been the Basketball Club President for the past 2 years, overseeing some outstanding results for the club and a membership increase of 34%. He manages 8 teams and often steps in to coach, attending almost every home game. He introduced a 4th men’s team and a mixed development team in response to high demand during trial sessions, enhancing participation opportunities. Tom is known for his inspiring work ethic and strong leadership, making an effort to connect with as many of the club's 140 members as possible.

Alexis Boissel - Volleyball

Alexis achieved the Grade 2 Scottish Volleyball refereeing qualification. This makes him eligible to referee at every level of Volleyball in Scotland. His achievement is significant for him and the club, and he has officiated important games such as the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, BUCS Premier Promotion Match, and SVL Premier Final. This year, he has refereed multiple national and BUCS games, frequently handling 2-3 games in a week.

Asher Petit - Men's Hockey

Asher holds a Level 1 qualification in hockey umpiring and has become the National League umpire for the club's Premier League team. He set a club record for the most games umpired by a student in a single season, with over 30 games. Asher has also umpired high-profile matches like the Scottish Cup and Women’s National League Cup final. His contributions have been critical for umpire development, helping new umpires with advice and support.

Marcin Andraka - Volleyball

Marcin is a Grade 3 Scottish Volleyball referee and serves as the club’s referee secretary, overseeing referee allocations, training, and equipment management for all seven teams. He has refereed over 20 times this year in various leagues and tournaments, including high-profile events like the 2024 Scottish Student Sport Volleyball semi-finals and finals. Marcin has also organised four referee training courses with Scottish Volleyball this season, demonstrating his commitment to developing new referees.

Bruce Flockhart - Badminton

Bruce has over 20 years of coaching experience, the highest coaching qualification in badminton, and international playing experience. His leadership has resulted in both the 1st and 2nd teams achieving their best performances in years, with the Mixed 1's team winning the BUCS Scottish Division 1 and gaining promotion to the Premier North League, while the Women's 1's team won the BUCS Trophy Cup. Additionally, the Mixed 2's team achieved promotion to BUCS Scottish Division 1 for the first time and won the BUCS Scottish Conference Cup. This year Bruce has organised opportunities to train and play with the National Senior Development Squad in Glasgow, giving his players valuable experience against top tier opponents and boosting their confidence for upcoming tournaments.

Cara Nicholson - Sub Aqua

Cara has 8 years of experience as a BSAC Open Water Instructor, 3 years as an Advanced Instructor, and 2 years as a BSAC Instructor Trainer. This year, she coached over 25 divers, completing more than 75 dives, as well as upskilling 15 club members to become Assistant Diving Instructors. She has inspired inclusivity in the club, encouraging female and minority members to pursue diving. Cara’s openness, approachability and inclusivity, are all attributes that make her a perfect role model for our club members.

Mat Trodden - Swimming

Mat brings over 15 years of coaching experience, training swimmers from youth level to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. His athletes have won six British Championships Medals, and Mat was selected as part of the coaching team for the 2023 U23 Europeans. He has been instrumental in gaining international recognition for the University of Edinburgh swim team over the last decade, and his work has significantly contributed to the success and reputation of the esteemed Edinburgh Performance Swimming Programme. 

Elizabeth Muse - Handball  

Elizabeth has been both the Handball Club President and Coach, dedicating 7-8 hours a week to training sessions and matches. She promotes confidence and innovation, introducing individual shooting and skill sessions to cater to all abilities. Elizabeth actively volunteers at Taster sessions, International Sports Club sessions, and Give-it-a-go sessions to attract new members. Under her leadership, the Men's team finished 1st in the SSS league and 5th at the BUCS Championships, while the Women's team finished 5th in the SSS league and 7th in the BUCS Trophy.

Isobel Hardy - Netball  

Isobel is a Level 1 coach for the Netball Clubs’ 3rd team, which won the BUCS Conference Cup and came in second in their BUCS tier 2 league. Her constant presence at training sessions and games has greatly contributed to the team's success, traveling with the team to all home and away games. Additionally, Isobel plays for the club’s 1st team and coaches in the wider community with Portobello Panthers Netball Club. 

Marton Hornyik - Muay Thai

Marton has been coaching the Muay Thai club for two years after starting the sport three years ago. His expertise has led to remarkable results, with the club winning the first-ever University Muay Thai Championships, securing 4 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Marton coaches five out of nine weekly sessions, focusing on beginners and advanced fighters. He works individually with each fighter to create personalised game plans and advocates for a dedicated fighters' group to raise the club's competitive level.

Oliver Eve - Sub Aqua  

Oliver is a BSAC Open Water Instructor and a core trainer for the club, contributing to 9 training weekends and countless theory lessons. He is not only a skilled diver but also a role model for both beginner divers and assistant instructors. Oliver co-organised an 'intro to tech' day to introduce advanced diving and led a Compressor Operator course, qualifying 14 members, and an Oxygen Administration course to boost safety in the club. He also co-organised two Instructor Foundation Courses, which resulted in 6 new Assistant Diving Instructors.

Archery BUCS Indoor Championships Team 

Edinburgh University’s Archery Team achieved remarkable success at the BUCS Indoor Archery Finals, winning six medals, securing two individual national titles, two team national titles, and earning the highest rank among universities. Notably, the women's Non-Compound team won the first Championship title for Edinburgh since 2017, while Natasha Homer secured the women's Recurve title, the first for Edinburgh since 2011. Jake Walsh also successfully defended his title from the previous year, highlighting the consistent excellence of the team.

Edinburgh University Volleyball Club Women’s 1’s - BUCS Big Wednesday

The Volleyball Women’s 1’s team became BUCS National Champions at BUCS Big Wednesday, defeating Bournemouth University in a hard fought match. The team faced adversity early on when their captain and setter, suffered an ankle injury, finding themselves one set down to begin. However, they rallied back, demonstrating incredible resilience and teamwork to win the match and the championship. This victory crowned a season of remarkable achievements, including their third consecutive SSS tournament win and an undefeated streak in BUCS, leading to promotion to the Northern Premier League.

Megan Keith – European U23 Cross Country Championship Performance 

This year Megan became the European U23 Cross Country Champion. Megan won the event with a margin of 1 minute 23 seconds, the greatest winning margin in the events history across all age groups, both male and female. Megan's performance was all the more impressive as she led the race from start to finish, showcasing her dominance and endurance. This achievement played a key role in Team GBR's most successful European Cross Country Championships, inspiring a new generation of athletes through her extraordinary talent and sportsmanship.

Wenjun Cheah & Zacary Wong - Badminton

Wenjun and Zacary delivered an outstanding performance at the 2024 SSS Individual Champs Mixed Doubles Finals, facing highly ranked top-seeded opponents. Despite having played nine matches each before the finals, they showed remarkable determination and focus. After winning the first set 21-18, they lost the second set 14-21 but came back to clinch a thrilling victory, winning the very close final set, 21-19. Their ability to stay calm and composed under pressure inspired everyone watching.

Anna McGorum - Cycling

Anna is a remarkable cyclist, having had an outstanding year in 2023 where she represented Great Britain at the UCI XC MTB U23 World Championships and achieved 3rd place in the British Cycling National Cross Country MTB Championship. She showcased incredible consistency by winning the BC National XC MTB Elite National Series in 2023, which comprised of five challenging races. Additionally, she was a member of the 2nd place women’s team at the BUCS Hill Climb Championships in both 2022 and 2023.

Ciara Schlosshan - Swimming

Ciara has been a consistent medallist in swimming, with multiple achievements in the BUCS Long Course and Short Course Championships. She earned silver in the 200m Butterfly in 2021, 2022, and 2024, silver in the women's medley relay, and has been a key member of medal-winning women's and mixed medley and freestyle relay teams from 2021 to 2024. Notably, Ciara was crowned the 2023 British National Champion in the 100m Butterfly.

Hannah Supple - Rowing

Hannah has established herself as an excellent rower, winning bronze in the W2x race at the 2023 BUCS Regatta. In the 2021/22 season, she was part of the Championship W4x team that won at  BUCS Regatta 2022, where her team also achieved a 3rd place finish in the W championship 4+. Hannah represented Great Britain in the W4x boat at the U23 World Rowing Championships and U23 European Rowing Championships in 2022/23, where her team came 8th overall in the World Championships and 3rd in the European Championships.

Isla Britton - Triathlon

Isla has been selected to represent Canada on both the Junior and Senior national triathlon teams, with impressive international results. Her standout performance was a second place finish at the American Cup in Edmonton. Whilst competing in BUCS competitions she has achieved 4th place at the Standard Champs and bronze at the 2023 Hill Climb Championships. Additionally, she earned 11th place and was part of the 3rd-place team at the BUCS Duathlon 2022/23.

Rachel Brown - Orienteering

Rachel has taken part in domestic and international competitions. Representing EUOC domestically and both GB junior and senior teams internationally.  She took silver at the 2023/24 BUCS Orienteering Championships, and was part of the gold medal team. Rachel won the W20E 2023 Scottish Orienteering League 4 and finished 14th in the 2022 Junior World Orienteering Championships.