Five St Andrews Student Athletes Named in Scotland’s Prestigious Winning Students 100 Programme

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Thursday 6 November 2025

The University of St Andrews is proud to announce that five of its most talented student athletes have been selected for the 2025–26 cohort of Winning Students 100, Scotland’s national sport scholarship programme.

Harris Bisset (Rowing), Rosa Thompson (Rowing), Kristina Armstrong (Canoe Sprint), Sophia Isberner (Rowing), and Ellie Monk (Golf) have been recognised for their exceptional achievements in both sport and academia. They join a record-breaking intake of 106 student athletes from across Scotland.

Winning Students 100 provides scholarships of up to £3,000, alongside academic flexibility and tailored support to help elite student athletes balance the demands of high-performance sport with university study. The programme is managed by the University of Stirling and funded by sportscotland, the Scottish Funding Council, and Scotland’s further and higher education sector.

St Andrews scholars:

• Ellie Monk, a third-year Economics undergraduate, is currently ranked No. 733 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She rose to prominence in 2024 with a breakthrough win at the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open at Royal Troon. Her consistent performances on the R&A Student Tour Series, including podium finishes in Sweden, Ireland, France, and Portugal, earned her 4th place in the 2024–25 Women’s Order of Merit. Monk also claimed the Individual Stroke Play Title at the 2025 St Andrews Links Collegiate, finishing 7-under-par against top U.S. collegiate golfers.
• Sophia Isberner, a fourth-year Biology and Geography student, made history for St Andrews as part of the Great Britain Women’s Eight (W8+) crew that won gold at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region.
• Kristina Armstrong, a third-year Medicine student, is a World Junior Bronze medallist and double U23 European Champion in Canoe Sprint. She was selected for the GBR Senior Canoe Sprint Team under UK Paddle’s World Class Performance Programme for the 2025 season.
• Rosa Thompson, a postgraduate student in Data Science, is a British World Champion beach sprint rower and member of Leander Club. She won gold in the CMix4x+ at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Genoa, Great Britain’s first-ever gold in this boat class, and has medalled at both European and British championships.
• Harris Bisset earned gold in the coastal open student solos event at the 2025 British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships and represented Scotland at the 2023 Home International Beach Sprint Regatta.

Ian Gaunt, Deputy Director of Saints Sport at the University of St Andrews, commented:
“We are thrilled to see Harris, Rosa, Kristina, Sophia and Ellie recognised at a national level for their dedication and talent. Their selection reflects the strength of our sporting programmes and the commitment of our student athletes to excellence both on the field and in the classroom. We’re proud to support them as they continue to represent St Andrews on the national and international stage.”

The 2025–26 Winning Students 100 cohort spans 31 sports and 18 institutions, with many athletes having already represented Team GB and Team Scotland. Several are targeting future Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games success.

Since its launch in 2008, Winning Students 100 has supported over 1,700 student athletes, including Olympic and World champions. The programme remains a vital pipeline for Scottish sporting talent, helping athletes forge successful careers while achieving academic qualifications.

For more information and the full list of scholars, please visit the Winning Students website.