The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Silver adds to shining start for Harrison
Having competed in only one British University Championship (BUCS) before last weekend’s event in Chelmsford, Aberdeen-based Irish international sprinter Roisin Harrison made sure to make up for lost time.
Harrison, 25, who is studying for a PhD in psychology at Aberdeen University, put in a string of stellar performances, culminating in a silver medal in the women’s 200m.
She achieved a personal best, running 23.83sec to finish behind Wales international Hannah Brier.
After an indoor season that saw her represent Ireland for the first time in seven years – in the 400m – Harrison already had reason to start the 2022 season with optimism.
Her gold at the Scottish University Championships in Grangemouth, then silver at BUCS, will surely see her push for further international honours.
The fact Harrison is keeping people guessing as to her best distance may well pose a welcome dilemma for herself and the selectors.
Harrison says she owes much of her progress over the past five years to her coach, Eoghan MacNamara.
She said: “I think Eoghan’s been brilliant, really, because one of the things I really liked about him when I initially moved to him was that, yes, he was inexperienced, but he was very knowledgeable and was always willing to look things up and learn. He’s very conscientious in that way.”
Harrison’s first two competitions of the season are the start of a typically hectic campaign.
She has a National Athletics League match in Cardiff this weekend, then it is Belfast next week for an Irish Milers Meet.
After June’s Irish Senior Championships she will sit down with MacNamara to consider her performances.
If her 400m times continue to come down, Harrison has a good chance of representing Ireland in the relay at the European Championships in Munich this summer.
Elsewhere at the BUCS, Aberdonian athletes and Scotland internationals Rebecca Matheson, Claire McGarvey and Jane Davidson all fought hard as they sought to continue the momentum from successes at the Scottish University Championships two weeks ago.
RGU student Matheson, 23, raced six times in three days, reaching the final of both the 100m and 200m.
Working with new coach Ryan Oswald, she aims to dip under 12 seconds in the 100m and cement a Scottish rankings top 10 spot.
Aberdeen University’s Davidson, 19, had mixed fortunes. A personal best in the 100m of 12.34, then a 12.47 in the semi, gave her a great start, but in her main event, the 100m hurdles, she clattered the penultimate barrier to end her hopes of a final place.
McGarvey, 20, previously based in Banchory before moving to Glasgow for university, came within 3cm of a medal in the high jump, and was placed fifth in the final with 1.74m.