Students break seven records

Stirling University’s swimming team lived up to its reputation last weekend as it claimed 50 medals at the Scottish Short Course Championships in Edinburgh.

Thanks to its medal haul, which included seven new national records, the team also won the overall top club prize ahead of secondplaced Edinburgh University.

Leading the way for Stirling were Olympians Ross Murdoch (pictured), Duncan Scott and Aimee Wilmott, who won 10 golds between them, while there were also titles wins for Martyn Walton, Callum Lawrie, Danielle Huskisson, Scott McLay, and first-year scholars Keanna MacInnes and Cassie Wild.

It was a recordbreaking weekend for the team, with Murdoch claiming new national records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

Scott McLay, who was named sports personality of the year at the Scottish Sports Awards last week, recorded the fastest ever Scottish 100m individual medley time.

Teammate Keanna MacInnes also swam a new record time in the 100m butterfly.

Scott McLay broke Stirling alumnus Todd Cooper’s 15-year-old national record in the 50m butterfly in a personal haul of four medals.

The men’s relay teams were similarly dominant as they broke national records when winning the 4 x 50m medley, 4 x 50m freestyle and 4 x 100m freestyle relay races.

The university’s head performance swimming coach Steven Tigg said: “The championships are a great way to round off the year and I’m particularly pleased with the collective success from the weekend.

“There was some impressive racing from our experienced athletes and several eye-catching performances from our younger swimmers, which is very encouraging as we head into the new year.”