The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Students eye podiums in Essex outing
Several north-east prospects will vie for honours when the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships return this weekend.
It is the first time BUCS has been held in Chelmsford, Essex – but the long journey for Roisin Harrison, Claire McGarvey and Jane Davidson is not going to dim their quest for a podium place.
All three have good chances of returning with medals after some excellent performances over the winter.
Roisin Harrison has come off the back of what is undoubtedly the best indoor season of her career. Having previously been a 100m and 200m specialist, the Aberdeen-based Ireland international has switched her focus to the 400m, and became Scottish indoor champion in January.
Despite her newfound success over the 400m, Harrison has by no means turned her back on the 200m. Having taken gold in the event at the Scottish
University Outdoor Championships in Grangemouth last weekend – running 24.06sec into a strong headwind – a second championships medal is by no means impossible.
Also with an eye on a podium place is Jane Davidson. The Scottish champion over 60m hurdles, who is coached by Aberdeen Athletics Club stalwart Bob Masson, has already made an excellent start to her outdoor season. Like Harrison, Davidson was on the podium in Grangemouth last weekend. Her 100m hurdles time saw her take silver in the event.
Not content with one race over the weekend, Davidson raced again the following day, running a personal best of 14.56sec to set herself up nicely for this weekend’s BUCS championships, where she will face some of the best in the business.
One of the most intriguing prospects, however, is Claire McGarvey. The 20-year-old from Banchory has already added 4cm to her previous high jump personal best of 1.74m. McGarvey is heading into the 2022 outdoor season as Scotland’s No 1 ranked high jumper.
McGarvey is based in Glasgow, where she is studying for a degree in neuroscience, and had something of a quiet outdoor season in 2021, jumping only four times competitively. But a packed schedule over the winter, which saw her place fourth at the British Indoor Championships – and take silver at the BUCS Indoor Championships – has seen her surge into the top 10.
A jump of 1.75m saw McGarvey take a straightforward victory in the Scottish University Championships last weekend, but BUCS will see her face stiffer competition.
And given it is her first BUCS outdoor championships, McGarvey’s approach will be the same method which has seen her soar to new heights over the past few months: do it and see what happens.