UK Student Archery Association

The Toucan rises [11/Apr/17]

This is a catch up article reviewing the BUTTS Indoor championships, held in Warwick on 11th March.

Birmingham put in another huge score, this time 2324, to leave their league rivals trailing and confirm winning the overall BUTTS title. Loughborough managed to grab second place ahead of Warwick, with 2271 ahead of 2245. Derby and Nottingham were fourth and fifth on 2174 and 2169. The results leave Birmingham on 40 out of 40 points, a successful defence of their BUTTS league crown and a remarkable match average of 2310. Warwick stay second, finishing on 34, with Loughborough on 31. Trent held on to fourth spot ahead of city rivals Nottingham.

In the Indoor Champs themselves, Ashe Morgan (Birmingham) scored 595, with Birmingham team-mate Francis Berti on 588. Also in the 580s were Jack Masefield (Derby) on 586 and Rob Gray (Nottingham Trent) on 584. Just under the 580 mark, top lady was Philippa Taylor (Derby) on 579, whilst Arthur Coveney (Loughborough) top scored for his side on 578. There were 572s from Sherman Ip (Warwick) and Christopher Avins (Birmingham). There were a further 9 archers in the 560s.

The BUTTS novice title was decided by the Indoor championships as Loughborough and Birmingham were level on points going in to the fixture. In the end the margin was only 13 points, but Loughborough came through, winning their third successive match to take the novice title. Birmingham were second in the fixture. Warwick were a relatively distant third in the match as they were in the overall table. Top novics were Adomas Boruta (Cambridge) and Simon Tapley (Warwick) on 548 and 545, with Toby Beasley (Loughborough), Xioahang Lu (Birmingham) and Nasir Ahmad (Oxford) all broke 530.

For final league tables, see the BUTTS 16/17 page.

Birmingham are having a simply fantastic season, in many instances simply blowing away their competition. In BUTTS league matches, Warwick and Loughborough have shot otherwise very strong team scores but they have only ever been good enough for second and third place. The vertigo inducing score of 2300 (for a mixed Portsmouth team of 4) had only been breached twice before this season. In 16/17, Birmingham have made it a matter of routine, with an average BUTTS league tally of 2310. Birmingham became the first team to win the BUCS men's and women's team categories at the same event since the two were separated in 2015. Of the 6 available titles, in 2015 and 2016, Warwick were impressive in picking up 4 in both years. Assuming they win the E-League, Birmingham will have 4 in their pocket before they head outdoors.

Warwick have had another strong indoor season too - never off the podium for BUCS, BUTC and E-League. Loughborough have a higher 5 match aggregate than any team outside BUTTS but still finish third.