Three former pupils of The High School of Glasgow collectively amassed some phenomenal sporting successes in the summer months. 

Class of 2022 former pupils Jess Mitchell and Zara Kennedy have excelled in hockey, having both been selected to represent Scotland at the EuroHockey U21 Championship II-B Women 2024, which took place in Konya, Turkey in July.  

The Scotland team faced host nation Turkey, as well as Poland and Ukraine in matches that spanned five days. Having been victorious in the first three games, defeating Ukraine (3-1), Poland (2-1) and Turkey (4-0), the team pulled out all the stops in the Championship final against Ukraine, with Zara scoring the match’s only goal, resulting in a 1-0 win for Scotland. Jess secured an accolade of her own, having been named goalkeeper of the tournament.  

The team’s victory earned them not only a promotion to the II-A division in next year’s Championship, but also qualification for next year’s FIH Junior Hockey World Cup in Australia. A brilliant achievement! 

In keeping with what has been a fantastic summer of sport, Class of 2014’s Andrew Umeed has been batting his way to his own success on the cricket pitch. Having left Warwickshire County Cricket Club in 2018, Andrew found himself signing a contract with Somerset in August 2022, initially until the end of 2023 but which was extended last year until at least the end of the 2025 season. 

Andrew helped secure a win for Somerset against Kent in the Metro Bank One Day Cup tournament, which kicked off in July. Managing to uphold his unbeaten century, where a player exceeds 100 runs in a single inning, Andrew carried his bat for 114 off 121 balls, helping his team to secure their victory over Kent (270-267). 

Other matches in the tournament have seen Somerset go head-to-head with several teams, successfully beating Durham (by 133 runs), Lancashire (by 8 wickets), Northamptonshire (by 7 wickets), Worcestershire (by 5 wickets) and Middlesex (by 8 wickets). Playing in the semi-finals against Leicestershire on 18^th August, the team came out victorious by 23 runs earning them a place in September’s final against Glamorgan at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Monday 23^rd September. Sadly, Glamorgan secured a win against Somerset by 15 runs. We look forward to keeping an eye on Andrew’s progress in the 2025 season.   

Pictured top: Jess Mitchell (the goalkeeper pictured left) and Zara Kennedy (back row, third from the right). Copyright Ian Foster @IFSportsImages.