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A great week for Manchester

Published on 22 March 12

This week Manchester students have shone (just like the sun), as champions and gold medal winners at BUCS, as well as scooping the top prize in University Challenge.

• Manchester beats Cambridge to win University Challenge

A team of students from the University has won this year's University Challenge competition, beating Pembroke College, Cambridge, watched by an estimated audience of three million.

The team received their trophy from HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at a special presentation ceremony held at Clarence House to mark the 50th anniversary of the show.

The Manchester team includes 24-year-old Luke Kelly, studying for a PhD in History; 21-year-old Michael McKenna from Lytham St Annes, studying Biochemistry; Paul Joyce, 48, from Chorley, doing a Masters in Social Research Methods and Statistics, and their captain Tristan Burke, studying English Literature.

The team triumphed over Pembroke College by 180 to 135 in dramatic final, screened on BB2 on Monday evening.

The team’s remarkable achievement will be recognised with a celebration event at the University in April, hosted by the President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.

• Manchester scoop BUCS gold

Manchester students scooped gold, silver and bronze medals whilst an array of our teams swept to victory in the BUCS Championships 2012 (British Universities and Colleges Sport).

TASS athlete Sophie Crosley scored a hat trick for Women’s Hockey, helping Manchester sweep to a 4-0 victory in the BUCS Trophy final against Cardiff Metropolitan. Women’s Table Tennis also grabbed the top spot by beating Southampton 3-1 in the Championship Final.

Manchester took home more Gold thanks to the victory of Karate mixed team Kata, whilst the Men’s team scooped silver, and the Women’s team took home Bronze. Melissa Finley also brought home another Karate Silver medal by fighting it out to the final in her weight category.

The Men's Lacrosse team achieved their best result to date, making it to the Championship Final against Durham, whilst the Men’s Fencing Team also performed brilliantly, achieveing their personal best by coming 2^nd overall in the Championship.

Manchester Sport Scholarship Athlete Verity Stephen earned the Gold medal in Women’s Judo, leading the way for Sam Turner to grab the Men’s Judo Silver medal, and Joe Perry and Yerzhan Konysbayez to each earn Bronze in their weight categories. John Fryer also won, bringing home yet another Silver medal for Manchester in the Snooker individual championship.

And there is still plenty of opportunity for Manchester to add to those awards as the season continues – that's if there is any room left on the trophy shelf.

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