BUSA Outdoors 2004 Review
Review
Lilleshall played host to university archery's outdoor showpiece occasion for the fourth time on Saturday 19th June. The biggest ever recorded BUSA Outdoors field was spread over 53 bosses - just about the full length of the Lilleshall field. A total of 177 competitors from 26 institutions, including for the first time, some guests from universities in the Republic of Ireland. Conditions were less than perfect with a two downpours just before kick off, however the rain held off for the arrow firing, the weather fluctuating between sun, cloud and breeze.
Edinburgh made it the perfect 10, winning BUSA Outdoors for the tenth consecutive year with a score of 3488. This completes Edinburgh's sixth BUSA double. For only the second ever time however, Edinburgh's team comprised four ladies, Becky Gridley (878), Emma Downie (874) and novices Jenny Jeppsson (874) and Jo Lymboussis (862). Hosts London also benefited from the slightly more sheltered and nearer ladies line as they finished second on 3253, team comprising Leo Lang (835), Mati Lang (833), Veronica Bray (832) and Dominic Rebelo (753). Cambridge and Imperial College jostled all day for bronze, James Keogh eventually inspiring the BUTTS champions ahead, team comprising James Keogh (853), Ian Caulfield (822) Pamela Custance-Baker (794), Tim Northover (737), team score 3206. Imperial had to be content with fourth, but good performances from their team of David Wilson (826), Eloise Fowler (822) Angela Ko (743) and Gavin Simmons (728), team score 3119, kept them well clear of York in fifth. York were the team to struggle most from a lack of female Windsor scores on a day when they were crucial, falling six points short of the 3000 mark. York's side of Tom Duncan (844), Andrew Ash (739), Michael Ward (727), James Wickens (684) beaten in university competition only once before this season, NEUAL and BUTC winners, were well off the pace. Oxford were sixth, 150 points further back on 2842, the dark blues nudging, Bradford into seventh on 2834 and Exeter into eighth on 2822. Liverpool were ninth with 2763, well clear of Brunel who made up the top ten with 2763.
The novice (or Shield, if you are BUSA) team category gave Edinburgh's exceptional novice vintage to sign off with a flourish. A team score of 2540 put them so far clear of their nearest rivals, the real competition was amongst themselves. Jenny Jeppsson (874) broke the BUSA and All Unis individual ladies novice record, and combined with Jo Lymboussis (862) and Naomi Crouch (804) broke both the BUSA and the All Unis novice team record. Best of the rest Imperial did what their seniors just failed to do and ousted Cambridge. SEAL novice team champions, Imperial notched 1878 comprised Damien Loizeau (674) Joe Tricklebank (607) and Mark Wheelhouse (597). Cambridge novices were third with 1856, Matthew Johnson (653), Jochen Smolka (603) and Alexandra Griffiths (600). They pushed BUTTS novice team champions Birmingham into fourth, further back on 1693. Exeter made up the top five with 1157.
Andrew Callaway (Bournemouth), fresh from his call up to the World Student Games, won gents experienced recurve, in the end comfortably, with 898 ahead of the 1998 Champion James Keogh (Cambridge) 853 and Tim Mundon (Edinburgh) 850. Callaway emerged fairly quickly out of the leading pack and applied more and more pressure until a very tidy last distance gave him a 45 point cushion - a record for this competition format. The highest recurve score of the day, it showed what was possible even in the variable breeze. Despite missing early on, a late charge from James Keogh was enough for second place ahead of last year's winner Tim Mundon, who despite an individual medal did not make the Edinburgh senior team. A group of five followed the medal winners, led by Tom Duncan (York) with 844 who led after the first dozen. Other names discussed as potential winners were Jon Paradi (Brunel) fifth on 838 and Matt Nowicki (Edinburgh) another Edinburgh gent not to make the team, sixth on 834. The leading pack was completed by the 1999 champion David Wilson (Imperial) 826 and Ian Caulfield (Cambridge) on 822. Forty points further adrift Barry Cottrell (Surrey) 783 and Dave Herbert (Liverpool) 766 were ninth and tenth respectively.
In the ladies recurve, despite an deluge of Edinburgh scores, Marietta Scott (Manchester) shot consistently well to build on her record in this competition (3rd in 2001, 2nd in 2002 and 2003) to go one better to win with 892 and complete the personal BUSA double. Naomi Faulkner (Leeds Met.) was second with 886. Becky Gridley (Edinburgh) picked up individual bronze with 878 and along with James Keogh the only senior to win team and individual medals. Incidentally, twelve months ago, she picked up exactly the same combination of novice medals. Novice Jenny Jeppsson (Edinburgh) finished fourth lady overall on 874, beating Emma Downie (Edinburgh) on golds 66 to 63, Downie fourth in BUSA Championship (as opposed to Shield) standings. Novice Jo Lymboussis (Edinburgh) beat Claire Brockett (Bradford) to sixth place 63 golds to 61 after the pair finished on 862, Brockett 5th in Championship standings. After the Edinburgh deluge came the London deluge, as 8th through 10th overall (6th to 8th in Championship) of Leo Lang (835), Mati Lang (833) and Veronica Bray (832), all London. Sinead Cuthbert (Dublin IT) 826, 11th overall and Marie Cuthbert (Dublin City) 814, 13th overall sandwiched Eloise Fowler (Imperial) who was 12th overall (9th in Championship). Karen Atkins (Bath) finished 14th overall (10th in Championship) with 806, two points ahead of novice Naomi Crouch (Edinburgh) on 804, the last of the 15 ladies to break 800.
As for the individual novice competition, Stuart Horswell (Edinburgh) matched his BUSA Indoor novice triumph, here scoring 744, only to not make Edinburgh's novice team in a cameo version of Edinburgh's senior male archers. Leading the chasing pack in second place was Liam Craddock (Liverpool) on 683 ahead of Damian Loizeau (Imperial) on 674 who pipped James Suckling (Exeter) to the bronze by only two points. Matthew Johnson (Cambridge) was fifth on 653 ahead of guest Gavin Dunne (Carlow IT) on 645. As discussed, ladies novice recurve was very much the Edinburgh Show. Not content with the Jeppsson/Lymboussis/Crouch top three, Kirsten Hunter (Edinburgh) was fourth with 717. Birmingham duo Genni Thompson fifth on 639 and Deborah Seymour seventh on 592 were split by Alexandra Griffiths (Cambridge) on a round 600.
The compound divisions proved two of the tightest finishes ever seen in this discipline. In the gents, despite at one point accruing a considerable lead, 2003 champion Alistiar Whittingham (Edinburgh) was beaten 85 golds to 83 by Chris Millar (Edinburgh). Millar is the new Edinburgh captain and must have been delighted with the start to his year, both personally and for the club. Keith Langmead shooting as a guest was third overall on 862. In the Championship however Malcolm Rees (Swansea) picked up third with 796 after a miss from John Bengtsson (Edinburgh) fourth on 791 denied Edinburgh a 1-2-3. In an echo of the SUSF Outdoor Champs, in ladies compound Hannah Walton (Edinburgh) beat Claudine Jennings (Edinburgh) by a single point, 868 to 867 after a miss from the latter. Gemma Breese (Bradford College) was third on 854.
In barebow and longbow (divisions that BUSA does not differentiate from recurve) there were a few souls who braved the winds. There were two gents barebows, both novices and Michael Disley (Bangor) came out on top with 206. There were two ladies barebows, both senior and 2003 champion Kelly Burns (Bangor) won again with 319. The size of the longbow field trebled (from one to three) - all three experienced gents. Geoff Woods (Brunel) cruised home after a good middle distance with 86 to almost double the existing BUSA record [corr.].
Inter-regional and inter-home national results were also generated. SUSF (or Edinburgh as no other Scottish clubs attended) were first team of Becky Gridley, Emma Downie, Jenny Jeppsson, Jo Lymboussis (all Edinburgh) on 3488. SEAL were second on 3338 team of Jon Paradi (Brunel) Leo Lang, Mati Lang, Veronica Bray (all London). BUTTS were third on 3253 ahead of NEUAL by only three points. SWWU fifth on 2966. Scotland (or Edinburgh as no other Scottish clubs attended) were not quite enough to down a combined English Unis team however. English Unis recorded a score of 3538, team including individual champions Andrew Callaway (Bournemouth) and Marietta Scott (Manchester) as well as Naomi Faulkner (Leeds Met) and Claire Brockett (Bradford). Scotland/SUSF/Edinburgh as before. Guests Ireland reduced to only four archers after non-travellers and injuries still managed third on 2823, team of Sinead Cuthbert (Dublin IT), Marie Cuthbert (Dublin City), novice Gavin Dunne (Carlow IT) and Dermot Madden (NUI Maynooth). Welsh Unis were fourth on 1773, team of Sarah Kerr, Ian Golightly (both Bangor), Katharina Baier (Swansea) and Owen Pleasance (Bangor).
Thanks to all those who pitched in to help organise and run this tournament including the ACME team numerically back to full strength. Remarkably this included Paul Williamson visiting from Azerbaijan, as well as the usual band of hired help, ULU for acting as hosts and Lilleshall for "letting" us burn their field.
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