BUCS Successes For Saints Sport

Titles across the board for student athletes

It’s been a successful year for Saints Sport in BUCS competitions, with victories across a wide range of sports, from basketball to archery.

The Boat Club enjoyed success in Newcastle earlier this year, medalling for the second year running. The Women’s Championship Coxed Four finished third, while the Women’s Championship Pair and Championship Double both placed sixth — a testament to their training.

“I get to see firsthand how driven all the athletes are and how much effort they put into improving every day,” Caitlin Kelly, one of the club’s coxswains, told The Saint. “It was really great to see our hard work pay off and to celebrate the successes of the weekend.”

The Women’s Water Polo team were crowned winners of the Scottish Tier 1 Competition, recording nine wins and only one loss. Their coach, Ian McCallum, who also coaches the GB men’s team, has played a crucial role in their success.

“He’s been with the team through good and bad seasons and has been a strong voice advocating for the club with the AU,” captain Claire Douglas told The Saint. “I’ve been captain for two years now and have had so much fun watching the team both in and out of the pool. The senior members of the team create a great foundation.”

The team scored an impressive 153 goals during the competition, conceding only 37 — a dominant performance that made them worthy winners.

The mixed fencing team were also named BUCS Team Champions after beating Oxford 122-117 at the finals in March. 

“We’re a small squad of six, so it was a real team effort,” men’s captain Anderson Bull said. “Different people stepped up in key moments to get us over the line.”

Looking ahead, the team hopes to build on this success. “We are losing a couple of fencers at the end of the year, so there will be a bit of a build. The goal is definitely to build on this and push for back-to-back titles.”

In archery, novice Amber Kennedy won the Novice Women’s Recurve in the Northern Qualifier.

The Women’s basketball team had an undefeated season, with an average point difference of 60. Their victory over Worcester at BUCS Big Wednesday felt inevitable, and they were crowned Trophy Champions.

The Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team showed consistency, placing fourth in both the Indoor and Outdoor Nationals this year, while the Korfball team finished fifth in the BUCS National Trophy last month. The weightlifting team also saw success, with Hannah Chen placing first in her category and teammate Jack Fernando coming third in his.

Despite the successes already, the season is far from over. Some clubs, such as cricket, are yet to begin their BUCS matches. As the days get longer and the weather improves slightly, the next wave of athletes is ready for their chance to compete.

Photo taken from Saints Basketball Instagram