Sports Scholar Highlights

Athletics

Arlo Ludewick has continued his rapid rise since joining the UoM Sport Scholarship programme in 2022, culminating in the biggest result of his career: winning the UK men’s 1500m title. In a tense, tactical final, he showed the race maturity he has developed during his time at Manchester, staying patient before unleashing the fastest finish in the field to take victory in 3:38.85, narrowly ahead of Jake Heyward and Thomas Keen.

The national title not only confirms Ludewick as one of Britain’s most exciting middle‑distance prospects but also highlights the impact of the high‑performance environment he has embraced at the University, balancing elite training, academic commitments, and now national‑level success.

UK 1500m champion Arlo Ludewick. Photography: @deleneadams.photography

Caden Uzoigwe secured a silver medal at the BUCS Outdoor Championships, throwing X in discus. Earlier in the year at BUCS Indoor Champs, he threw a PB of X in shot put, his first competition back after injury. 
PhD student Shaun Kerry is a national champion, winning gold at the BUCS Outdoor Championships in Hammer Throw.  
N’Adom Aboagye has seen a rapid rise through the rankings whilst being on the scholarship programme, currently No.1 ranked in the U23 category in Triple Jump. He placed 5th at the British Indoor and Outdoor Championships, with a PB of 15.35m at the Indoor competition. 

Commonwealth Games Selection and BUCS Medal Success

Leah Schlosshan, this years UoM Sport Athlete of the Year, has been selected to represent Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after a stellar season.

Leah won 3 medals at BUCS Nationals in February, securing one gold and two silver medals in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and 200m Individual Medley (IM).
More recently, Leah won bronze in 200m IM at the British Aquatics Swimming Championships.
Part of the Manchester Performance Centre training at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Leah is an excellent example of balancing the demands of elite sport with education, studying Biomedical Sciences at the university.

In fencing, scholars Harriet Hillier and Imogen Bulman both played a huge role in the UoM Fencing Club’s success this year, securing the BUCS Big Wednesday victory for the first time. 
Harriet is now ranked No. 5 in senior women’s epee in the country, earning herself a recent selection for the senior World Championships in Hong Kong. Imogen is ranked No. 22 in the senior women’s epee category, and secured a top 16 finish at the British Championships this year.  

High‑Performance Success in Badminton and BMX

Cholan Kayan is an international-level badminton player, representing England and playing for Manchester Badminton in the newly formed National Badminton League. Cholan helped the team secure a 2nd place finish in the inaugural season.
Cholan secured 3rd place at the English Nationals Badminton Championships this year. Cholan also competed for England at the European Men’s Championships, with England getting bronze.

BMX Scholar, Jos Marnham, was selected to race at the European Cup with the National Race Team in March 2026 and won the last two consecutive indoor winter national BMX races hosted at Manchester BMX Arena (Nov 16th & Jan 11th). Check out how he balances his master’s degree with training and competitions.

 

Rising Stars Making Their Mark in European and World Competition Elizabeth Popova is a Rhythmic Gymnast and is part of the Senior Individual Performance Programme with British Gymnastics. Elizabeth competed in the Winter Queen Cup in Spain, winning two Gold and two Silver medals. Ed Myles and Jay Hebblethwaite have both been selected for the World University Winter Games in January 2027. Lara Mitchell has achieved selection for Team GB for the Canoe Polo European Championships this summer.  Jack Wilson earned a selection for Northern Ireland to compete at the European Senior Karate Championships.  Sophie Jackson plays as GK for the City of Manchester Water Polo Club, who recently won the British Water Polo League Super 5s. Sophie represented Great Britain at the World Aquatics Championships in Summer 2025 and earlier this year she played in the European Championships for Great Britain, with the team finishing in 9th place.