Elite athletes awarded funding at York

Posted on 2 March 2017

Four promising athletes from the University of York have been awarded Santander Elite Sports Scholarships worth a total of £15,000.

The recipients include a powerlifter, softball player, Olympic rowing hopeful and an international underwater hockey player.

Santander Universities has supported the University of York since 2011; helping fund international student and staff mobility, student enterprise activities, student internships and scholarships.

The Elite Sports Scholarships were introduced in 2015 to celebrate sporting excellence and help students pursue elite sporting careers.

The four scholars include:

Stuart Hosie - Rowing (awarded £5000)

Stuart is a third year Computer Science and Philosophy student, and has learnt to row since coming to York. He is a member of the GB Start programme run by GB Rowing to nurture athletes with the potential to win Olympic gold medals. He aims to represent GB at the World Championships and in Tokyo in 2020.

Elspeth McLeod - Powerlifting (awarded £5000)

Elspeth is a third year Chemistry student. She began powerlifting at York to keep fit, but has progressed swiftly through training and has now broken several regional records.

Elspeth has been selected for Great Britain in the European Championships later this year.

Matt Tomlin - Softball (awarded £2500)

Matt is a third year Mathematics student. He has played various forms of softball since he was six years old, and represented Great Britain internationally since the age of 16 - first in the Under 19s squad, and now in the GB Men’s squad.

Shellby Ward Stephenson - Underwater Hockey (£2500)

Shellby is a second year Biology student. She has played underwater hockey (also known as Octopush) for many years and has represented Great Britain’s U-19 team. She is currently training for the Under 23 Great Britain Ladies team, with whom she will take part in a tournament in Tasmania in August.

Keith Morris, Head of York Sport, said: “All four scholars exemplify the sporting achievement and spirit we want to nurture at York. We are confident they will each achieve great things, and inspire other York athletes to pursue sporting excellence.”