Strathallan School student Marcus McLaren has earned himself a place at the University of Stirling on a prestigious tennis scholarship.
The 17-year-old from St Madoes said it was a dream come true to receive a full scholarship to the University of Stirling’s Tennis programme.
He said, “My tennis over the last two years has seen a huge improvement. I have worked hard at things I wasn’t confident in and put it into practice on court, getting better and better results at the Men’s British Tour events and Under 18 Nationals.
The pupil from Perth added, “It means a lot for me to get this chance to study at Stirling. I’ve wanted to go there ever since I started training 5 years ago. I can’t wait to join their performance programme.”
Marcus recently represented the North of Scotland in the Men’s Winter County Cup, where he recorded a second win against a world-ranked opponent. This follows a very successful period where Marcus won a Grade 2 British National Doubles title, made the final at an ITF in Loughborough and played regularly at British Tour main draw level.
He added, “Ideally, I want to go on to play doubles at a good standard and hopefully make it professionally.”
Head of Tennis at Strathallan, Tommy Ogilvie, said, “I am so pleased for Marcus, and his family. The sacrifices he has made and the support from his family have been so important in achieving this scholarship.”
“It really is a fantastic opportunity for Marcus, to train upwards of 20 hours a week with some of the best players in the country and just being in and around that environment should give him a fantastic platform for the next stage of his development. Marcus has been at Strathallan for almost 9 years now and we wish him well and good luck with everything to come, and I look forward to watching his tennis continue to thrive over the next few years.”
Offering year-round opportunities to practice and play, Strathallan School was named Tennis Scotland’s School of the Year in 2022. Pupils from the Perthshire school have recently competed at regional and national championships up and down the British Isles, including the Road to Wimbledon and the Four Nations Junior Championships.
Categories: School News Strathallan School
