A RISING star from Kilmarnock Harriers has secured a place on Scotland’s prestigious Winning Students 100 Scholarship Programme.
Rhian Mitchell, an HNC Uniformed and Emergency Services student at Ayrshire College, has been selected for the 2026–27 intake of the programme, which supports student athletes to excel in both academics and high-performance sport.
A talented thrower, he represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the European Under-18 Championships this year and has already earned five Scottish age-group championship medals.
Rhian said: "Being selected for Winning Students 100 is incredibly exciting and gives me the opportunity to continue progressing as an athlete while working towards my qualification.
"It can be challenging balancing study, training and competition, so having this support means a lot."
Athletics runs deep in his family, with parents Kevin and Gillian coaching at Kilmarnock Harriers and brothers Ally and Logan also competing.
The family also shares a strong connection to Ayrshire College, where Rhian now studies.
His father Kevin said: "Athletics has shaped our family for many years and has given us so many shared experiences.
"Gillian and I have had the privilege of seeing each of our boys develop their own talents, set their own goals and work hard to achieve them."
Jennifer Anderson, assistant principal for skills and innovation at Ayrshire College, said: "We are absolutely delighted to see Rhian selected for the Winning Students 100 programme.
"This prestigious scholarship recognises not only his sporting talent, but also the commitment, determination and resilience he demonstrates every day in balancing his studies with high-level competition."
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