UK Student Archery Association

Keele win NEUAL plus BUTTS/ELeague news [13/Mar/07]

In the one weekend in between BUTC and BUSA Indoors there has been an avalanche of results from NEUAL Indoors, a BUTTS leg, the ELeague and from SUS, St Andrews v Edinburgh v Aberdeen. Brunel v Southampton v Reading has been postponed until after Easter.

Keele scored 2197 to win NEUAL Indoor Championships, their team led by 560 from Matt Walker and 559 from Andy O'Connor. Durham were second on 2167 and York were third on 2146. This result meant Keele were able to snatch the NEUAL title away from York - the first time the title has slipped out of York's grasp. After Keele got to the BUTC semi-finals on debut, the Staffordshire club pose NEUAL's biggest threat at BUSA too. Individual winners were Pete Clayton (Durham) 568 and Georgina Porter (York) 542. Double bowing, Georgina Porter (York) shot 501 to break the All Unis ladies barebow experienced record by 20 points. Robert Gruar (Liverpool) was top compound on 577.

Cambridge, whose status as England's top club has been under fire from several sides, responded emphatically, hammering in a score of 2257 at the Loughborough BUTTS leg, just in time for BUSA. The winning margin of 68 points is the highest in a BUTTS leg since February 2005. Warwick led the chasing pack in second with 2189, Birmingham on 2165. Individual winners were Colin Geenes (Coventry) guesting again with 585 and Helen Markland (Cambridge) 547. In compound Phil Glover (Loughborough) shot an astonishing 590 to smash the BUTTS record by 5 points for the second consecutive leg.

In the novice matches, Keele wrapped up a NEUAL senior and novice double with 1497, including Dave Williams' 524. Cambridge look set to do the same with a crushing victory in the BUTTS match. Cambridge's top three novice scored 1568 with 551 from Ivan Hoo. Nottingham have gone second in the table (on aggregate from Birmingham) with second place in this leg but are a massive seven league points adrift with only two legs remaining.

Edinburgh won the ELeague for this month and have a two point lead with only one month left. Cambridge need a minor miracle on 37 points, Edinburgh on 39. Warwick on 32 points and York on 26 are clear in third and fourth. In the novice team category Edinburgh and Cambridge are locked together on 38 points and thus effectively have a shoot off. Keele are (and will finish) third. Individually Andy O'Connor (Keele) 72 has a lead over Robert Fryers (Cambridge) 67 and Ric Whalley (Cambridge) 66. Emma Downie (Edinburgh) leads Jenny Jeppsson (Edinburgh) in the ladies on 79 and 77 out of 80.

Edinburgh also wrapped their inevitable SUS League win by beating Aberdeen second and St Andrews third in Fife with the novice teams finishing in the same order. Scores to follow.