Last night, the annual Scottish Student Sport Awards Evening, hosted by at Stirling Court, University of Stirling, celebrated the outstanding achievements in sport across higher education institutions in Scotland. The University of Edinburgh came away with three prestigious awards, highlighting the exceptional talent of our athletes. Team of the Year – Girls Orienteering Team The University of Edinburgh Girls Orienteering Team were awarded Team of the Year. Their exceptional performance in the 2023-24 season, marked by multiple international selections, set them apart in university sport. They dominated the BUCS podiums, securing the BUCS Orienteering Champions title for the 10th consecutive year whilst winning all available titles. The team also secured top positions at the Scottish Student Orienteering Championships in Aberdeen. Members of the team achieved outstanding results at the British Orienteering Championships, including a 2nd place in the U19 Long, 1st and 3rd in the Relay, 1st and 3rd in the Senior Sprint, 1st in the U21 Sprint, and 1st and 4th in the Senior Middle categories. Male Athlete of the Year – Charlie Aldridge Charlie Aldridge won Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, following his 2023 victory. Building on his previous season, Charlie became the World Champion in front of a home crowd at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Men’s U23 Mountain Bike Cross-Country. He also won the Men’s U23 Cross Country British Championships and a bronze medal at the U23 European Championships. Charlie professionally races Cross Country Mountain Biking for Cannondale Factory Racing and competed in four rounds of the 2023 UCI World Cup. Female Athlete of the Year – Megan Keith Megan Keith, a current Sport Scholar studying Sport Science at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded Female Athlete of the Year. Megan has had a remarkable season, balancing her studies with exceptional athletic performances. She is the second fastest female Scottish athlete in history over 5,000m and 10,000m and currently holds the British record for the U23 5000m and the European U23 record for the 10,000m road race. Megan achieved the Olympic qualifying time and has since qualified for the Paris Olympics. This season, she also secured three gold medals at the European U23 Championships in the 5,000m, Cross-Country Individual, and Cross-Country Team events. Most recently, Megan added to her international successes in the 10,000m, claiming her first senior medal, and finishing third in the European Athletics Championships. Congratulations to the award winners and thank you to the volunteers, coaches, and staff who support them through these athletic achievements. This article was published on 2024-06-13
