UK Student Archery Association

A BUTTS match and a half [06/Feb/13]

As previously reported, the half of BUTTS match 3 that should have been held at Oxford in January was cancelled due to bad weather. Results for the 4 teams in question were taken from match 4, held at Nottingham and Birmingham over the first weekend of February. Results from the third Scottish universities league match have just been published and will be discussed in full in the next editorial. Aberdeen did win the match, a touch ahead of long time champions Edinburgh.

Back in the Midlands, in BUTTS leg 4, Nottingham, Warwick and Oxford were only separated by 14 points. Nottingham's total of 2258 was enough to claim maximum points ahead of Warwcik on 2247 and Oxford fractionally in third on 2244. Oliver Jackson and Phil Middleton (both Nottingham) scored 576 and 570, whilst Manuel Gil (Warwick) and Matthew Langton (Oxford) notched 575 and 571.

There were also 570s from Tom Currall (Derby) with 570 and Tom Cram (Loughborough) 573. Derby's 2196, left them just behind Nottingham Trent's 2205. Cambridge were sixth on 2169, Loughborough seventh despite 2152, with Birmingham a little way behind, just clearing 2100.

There were additional scores in the 560s from Richard Haydock (Nottingham), Tom Hall (Warwick), both Smiths, Alex and Kirstie (Oxford) and Maryia Karpiyevich (Cambridge).

Leg 3 was partially made up of scores from leg 4, so Warwick, Oxford, Derby and Birmingham were 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th with the scores as detailed above. Nottingham were third on 2205, with George Harding and Phil Middleton on 576 and 566. Trent were fifth on 2186, Loughborough sixth on 2162 with Cambridge seventh on 2131, Tom Cram (Loughborough) on 564.

Novice leg 4 saw Nottingham win easily with a (team of 4) score of 2044, Vee Srivuthicharn hitting 552. James Jeffs (Warwick) was second in the match on 526 and his side were second overall on 1970, whilst Birmingham were third on 1948. Warwick and Birmingham (using their match 4 scores) were the top two sides in match 3, with Nottingham and Loughborough third and fourth, clearing 1900.

All these scores leave Warwick in pole position to win BUTTS for the fifth time with 29 points ahead of Oxford on 27. Warwick's 3 point lead over Oxford in match 4, was replicated in match 3 and may have proved crucial.

To win the title, Warwick must finish no worse than one place behind Oxford at BUTTS Indoor champs as they have a slightly inferior points. The race for third is wide open, Nottingham's much improved performance in the last two matches, catapaulting them in to the mix.

In the novice table, Birmingham have a three point lead in a competition that has seen four different clubs win the four matches. Birmingham's novices have finished runners up in the last three seasons in a row, but a team medal of any colour would guarantee them the novice league title they last captured in 2004.