UK Student Archery Association

E-League winners crowned [26/Apr/18]

Birmingham won the E-League for 2017/18, coming from behind to beat Warwick 48 to 47. Warwick won the first two rounds of the year (Sept/Oct & Nov), but Birmingham came back to win the last three to overhaul their West Midlands rivals right on the tape and defend their E-League title in to the bargain. Tom Hall (Warwick) and Eleanor Piper (Birmingham) won the individual titles.

Rounds 3 and 4 were where the title was truly decided as Birmingham won both nailbiters by 3 points and 2 points respectively. Warwick actually finished with a higher average than Birmingham and have now finished on the final E-podium 12 years in a row - eye-watering consistency. Behind the leading duo, Loughborough picked up third place, with 4 third place finishes out of 5 rounds, gathering 39 points ahead of 34 for Southampton. Remarkably, this is the same top 4 in the same order as last season. Liverpool, Cambridge and Napier were fifth, sixth and seventh, with Liverpool and Napier match their best ever E-League results from 2016. London occupied the last safe slot in eighth place.

Assuming the regular E-League rules are applied, Bath and Aberdeen will be relegated from Division 1 with the top two A sides in Divison 2, Nottingham Trent and Swansea being promoted. Trent and Swansea were 4th and 6th overall. In Division 3, the A teams of Plymouth and Teesside occupy the promotion places. Bristol A topped Division 4, whilst the top three in the Conference were Nottingham A, B and C. Assuming all zero entries are relegated, then Oxford and Anglia Ruskin will also see their A sides promoted.

Warwick won the compound division with 5 wins out of 5.

In novice Division 1, 4 points covered the top 4 teams. Birmingham with 39 ended top with victory for Warwick in round 5 leaving them on 38. Had Warwick entered any score in round 1 they would have won instead. Cambridge (37) and Liverpool (36) were close behind. Teesside and Swansea were the top 2 A teams in Division 2. Bristol A were top of Divison 3, whilst Nottingham's A, B, C novice teams repeated their seniors' trick of taking the top 3 slots in the conference.

In the individual events, Tom Hall (Warwick) shot brilliant scores all season long to take the individual title. He won 3 legs outright, to end on 98 points and take the gents recurve title for the second time - only the fifth recurve to do so. William Pike (Warwick) and Conor Hall (Birmingham) won the other two legs and finished second and third. Eleanor Piper (Birmingham) won the ladies event, with 4 round wins and 98 points. Piper's team-mate and 3-time former champion Rebekah Tipping was second on 93, picking up her 10th single round win in November - only Jenny Jeppsson has more. Tipping's E-League record is formidable - over the last 6 seasons placing 9th, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd and now 2nd again. Hannah Burnage (Warwick) was third on 87 points.

Just outside the medals were Harriet Kelsey (Nottingham) and defending champion Becky Martin (Bristol), with Sherman Ip and Sam Armstrong (both Warwick) 4th and 5th on the gents side.

Gents barebow offered perhaps the closest finish of any category. Lonja Selter (Plymouth) and David Cunningham (Teesside) were level on points at the top and then shot matching totals in March. Selter's gold count in round 5 took him ahead of defending champion Cunningham. Ellice Jones (Teesside) won 4 out of 5 to comfortably secure the ladies title. Megan Purchase (Warwick) grabbed second on aggregate.

In the smaller categories, Sam Rees and Alice Cotton (both Birmingham) took the compound honours. Nathan Phillips (Swansea) and Emma King (Plymouth) were top longbows.

Imogen Mellor (Birmingham) came out on top of ladies novice recurve, surviving a late charge from Paula Uusnakki (Liverpool) who won the last two rounds and overtaking Heather Ford (also Birmingham) who didn't enter anything for round 5. Mellor's 72 edged out Uusnakki and Ford, who both finished with 69. Sesha Shayan and Edward Dutton (both Nottingham) dominated gents novice recurve. Shayan was top on 82, with Dutton on 73 and Moritz Krusche (Warwick) third, back on 59.

The E-League season will start again on 1st September. Five rounds spread over 7 months, the E-League is a true test of consistency and a chance to shoot against clubs from a variety of locations. Participation (and thus credibility) levels are not uniform, but most of the country's top clubs compete vigourously.

If your clubs is new to the E-League (or has been 'resting'), then contact the E-League organisers to get reactivated in time for the 2018/19 kick off.