sport around college

Sports Scholars announced

At one of his last official functions as President of UCD, the President, Dr Cosgrove, announced the names of the 90 UCD sports scholarship recipients for the 2003/2004 academic year at O’Reilly Hall last Thursday. 

In congratulating all the recipients on their achievement, the President reiterated the University’s commitment to the development of sport and highlighted the integral role that the scholarship programme has played in enabling UCD sportsmen and women to remain at the forefront in sporting performance nationally and internationally. He also acknowledged the success of recent graduates of the scholarship programme, in particular Irish International Rugby player Brian O’Driscoll, 1500 metre Athlete James Nolan who recently qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics, Golfer Peter Lawrie who had a very successful year on the professional tour and All-Ireland winning Gaelic Footballer Cormac McAnallen of Tyrone. 

Dr Cosgrove also expressed the disappointment felt by the University community at the Soccer Club’s recent relegation. However, he noted that the Club’s primary objective has been, and will continue to be, the development of young players. Indeed, the UCD Soccer Scholarship programme has enabled many current National League players to perfect their soccer skills while also securing their future with an education. The club should therefore reflect with pride on their achievements to date and look forward with confidence to the future considering the talent available to them. 

The Director of Sport, Brian Mullins, reiterated the University’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence in all spheres, not just excellence in the academic context. By providing the sports scholarship environment the University can continue to facilitate the physical and psychological development of natural talent. 

He also announced a partnership arrangement with the K-Club in Straffan, Co Kildare, whereby the UCD first team golfers will have access to the facilities of the Ryder Cup venue under the supervision of the renowned K-Club professional John McHenry. In addition, the students will work with UCD Sports Psychologist Prof Aidan Moran and UCD’s Strength and Conditioning Specialist Lisa Regan.  

The full list of Sports Scholars

Athletics: Joanne Cuddihy (Kilkenny), Deirdre Ryan (Dublin), Fiona O’Friel (Dublin) & Derval O’Rourke (Cork). 
Basketball: Kevin Foley (Dublin), Herman Heyl (Mayo) & Kevin Meaney (Dublin). 
Camogie: Therese Brophy (Tipperary), Sharon Daly (Offaly), Emily Darmody (Kilkenny) & Ciara Lucey (Dublin). 
Camogie & Ladies Gaelic Football : Sile NiCoitir (Dublin). Fencing: Conor Nagle (Dublin). 
Ladies Gaelic Football : Tracey Lawlor (Laois), Aisling O’hAnnaidh (Wicklow) & Nuala O’Shea (Mayo). 
Men’s Gaelic Football : Sean Brady (Cavan), Paul Griffin (Dublin), John Hanly (Roscomon), Darren Magee (Dublin), Niall McNamee (Offaly), Peter McNulty (Laois), Pat Navin (Mayo), Breandan O’hAnnaidh (Wicklow), Dara O’hAnnaidh (Wicklow), Ray Ronaghan (Monaghan) & James Sherry (Fermanagh). 
Gaelic Football & Hurling: Redmond Barry (Wexford) & Stephen Lucey (Limerick).
Ladies Golf: Deirdre Judge (Roscommon), Marion Riordan (Tipperary)
Men’s Golf: Fintan Bonner (Dublin), Thomas Kearney (Donegal), Paul McDonald (Dublin), Brian O’Connor (Dublin) & Mark O’Sullivan (Galway). 
Ladies Hockey: Catherine Murray (Wicklow) & Suzanne O’Connor (Tipperary). 
Men’s Hockey: Francis Lee (Kilkenny).
Hurling: Bryan Barry (Kilkenny), Diarmuid Corcoran (Tipperary), Colm Everard (Tipperary), Diarmuid Fitzgerald (Tipperary), Mick Fitzgerald (Cork), Tommy Fitzgerald (Tipperary), Brendan Murphy (Offaly), Tim Murphy (Kilkenny), John O’Connor (Wexford), David Prendergast (Kilkenny), Colm Ryan (Tipperary) & Matthew White (Wexford). 
Rugby: Simon Crawford (Meath), Conor Davis (Dublin), Keith Doyle (Dublin), John Fagan (Dublin) Michael Fanning (Dublin), Conor Geoghegan (Dublin), Stephen Grissing (Dublin), Michael Hastings (Tipperary), Gareth Hayes (Dublin), Eoghan Hickey (Dublin), Morgan Hickey-Crowe (Dublin), Arthur Houlihan (Offaly), Niall Kearns (Dublin), Ken Kennedy (Dublin), John Anthony Lee (Dublin), Ross McCarron (Dublin), Darren McKenna (Dublin), Kevin McLaughlin (Dublin), Niall McNamara (Clare), Gary Moran (Waterford), Jason Moran (Waterford), Gavin Murphy (Kildare), Conor Sharpe (Dublin) & Cillian Willis (Wicklow). 
Ladies Soccer: Nora Stapleton (Donegal) & Mary Waldron (Dublin).
Men’s Soccer: Patrick Burke (Dublin), Alan Cawley (Sligo), Lloyd Colfer (Wexford), Hugh Davey (Down), Brian Ennis (Meath), John Gaffney (Sligo), Neil Gallagher (Louth), Alan Gallen (Dublin),  Patrick McWalter (Wicklow), Tadhg Purcell (Dublin), Ben Savage (Dublin) & Gavin Whelan (Dublin). 
Table Tennis: Colin Byrne (Dublin).

Above - Roscommon's UCD Sports Scholarships recipients are Deirdre Judge, Golf; John Hanly, Gaelic Football; and Mark O'Sullivan, Golf. 

Above - Nora Stapleton, Donegal; Thomas Kearney, Donegal and Neil Gallagher, Louth. 

Above - Offaly's UCD Sports Scholarship recipients Brendan Murphy, Hurling; Arthur Houlihan, Rugby; Sharon Daly, Camogie; and Niall McNamee, Gaelic Football. 

Above - Dara, Aishling, and Breandan O'hAnnaidh (Gaelic Football). 

Above - Mayo's UCD Sports Scholarships recipients are Herman Heyl, Basketball, left, and Pat Navin, Gaelic Football 

Above - Derval O'Rourke, Cork; Fiona O'Friel, Dublin; and Joanne Cuddihy, Kilkenny, Athletics. 

Above - Waterford's UCD Sports Scholarships recipients are Rugby brothers Gary, left, and Jason Moran. 

UCD Archers Take Silver 
in Maynooth

The first archery intervarsity of the season was held in NUI
Maynooth on Saturday 29 November. Eight college teams took part, with more than 75 competitors on the shooting line. UCD finished in second place, behind DIT, beating DCU into third by two points. In addition to the team's success, Chris Williams took the Best Beginner prize for UCD with an excellent first competitive performance of 503 out of 600. Peter Russell, another novice, also did himself proud with a score of 454. 

Team scores are calculated on the basis of the top five individual scores from each team. Beginners shoot on 60cm targets, advanced archers on 40cm targets, at a distance of 18m on an indoor range. The competition consists of 60 arrows, with the centre of the target being scored as 10 points. Therefore, the maximum possible score for an individual is 600. For those who are interested, the current world record for the 40cm target at this distance is 599! 

Scoring for UCD were: Chris Williams (503 - Beginner); Mikhail Sogrin (466 - Advanced); Peter Russell (454 - Beginner); Mattias Voegler (430 - Advanced); Dave Bruseker (426 - Advanced) 

Top Three Team Scores: DIT 2421; UCD 2279; DCU 2277.  

Four Gold Medals for UCD at
Trampoline Intervarsities

The Irish Trampolining Intervarsities were held in DCU Sports
Centre on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November. Over 20 members of the UCD Trampoline Club competed at the event and attended the Intervarsities Social Event. 

UCD gold medal-winners: Adam O’Connor - Gold - Novice Men; Andrew Nolan - Silver - Beginner Men; Aisling Ni Mhaonais - Bronze - Advanced Ladies; Michael Dooley - Silver - Advanced Men. 

UCD Team A were placed fifth behind DCU A, University of Ulster, Jordanstown A, TCD A and TCD B. As this was the first competition of the year, it gave the newer members of the club a chance to compete for the first time and two of them won medals.   

Black Belts Attained by UCD Lau
Gar Kickboxing Club

Congratulations to club members John Emerson, Peadar Ó Dálaigh and Sinéad Keogh who were the first members of the club ever to attain the Black Belt in Kickboxing when they graded with Chief Instructor Bobby O'Neill in Wexford on Sunday, 30 November. It was an extremely physical two-and-a-half hour grading session including board breaking and six two-minute  rounds of continuous sparring, but the many hours of training with UCD instructors Steve Spain and Steve Kealy paid off.