UK Student Archery Association

Brummie joy at BUTTS Outdoors [01/Jun/12]

Birmingham were the hosts and surprise winners of BUTTS' Outdoor Championships, held across the St. George, Albion and Windsor rounds on Sat 26th May. It was an eventful shoot which had to be paused to allow a helicopter to land in the field. Birmingham's total of 2653 was enough to fly off with gold on a sunny but breezy day, as they finished the best part of 100 clear of main challengers Oxford and Loughborough. Birmingham had not won a BUTTS match since they won two legs in February 1996 on their way to the league title - unless they did during the 1998/99 season, from which results are lost. Either way the history making Brummie quartet were Andy Iles, Zoe Hawken, Jack Bryant and barebow Jos Sarsby.

Oxford, two weeks after a home win in the Varisty Match succeeded in pushing Loughborough into third place. However it was very close with only six points separating the sides, the Dark Blues on 2572, the reigning BUTC champions on 2566. Warwick were fourth, a further 100 points behind.

The novice team event was (as it was in at SUS Outdoors, and SWWU leg 4 held outdoors) extremely tightly contested between Warwick and Loughborough. Warwick came out on top by seven points, with an Albion/Windsor team of 4 total of 2494 against Loughborough's 2487, Birmingham not far behind in third.

In the individual competition, George Harding (Nottingham) scored 786 on the St George to claim first place and also break the All Unis record by 11. He was followed by Matthew Langton (Oxford) and Tom Cram (Loughborough) on 752 and 746 respectively. Ellie Dyson (Nottingham Trent) won ladies recurve with an Albion total of 771. Second and third here were Rachael Hutchison (Warwick) and Charlie Birch (Nottingham) on 749 and 710. In the novice categories, Enrik Nako (Warwick) and Louis Richardson (Loughborough) were a long way out in front of the field, with Nako first on 742 and Richardson on 723. Eloise Cornish (Birmingham) was top lady novice with a 708 Windsor.

There were also two other All Unis records broken. John Hodgson (Loughborough) demolished the gents novice Albion barebow record with a score of 565, whilst Chris Tombe (Birmingham) broke the gents compound St George record by three, with his winning total of 849.

See the final standings for BUTTS 2011/12.

In other BUTTS news, league organiser Steven Johnson (Birmingham) is to step aside after three successful years at the helm. He will be replaced by Chris Guerin. The last three years have been a great time for BUTTS and its member clubs, with an array of medals won and tournaments hosted. BUTTS added its eighth member, Nottingham Trent in 2010/11, in a move which necessitated a change of format. The solution of returning to an all vs all format but spread across two (or potentially more) geographically separate locations proved inspired and has since been copied by both SUS and SEAL.

Steven himself has been at the heart of Archery For Students (AFS) a body which leapt into existence as BUCS Indoors 2011 loomed, hostless, into view and is also the first chairman of BUCS' new Sports Advisory Group for Archery. The full SAG line up is available on the BUCS SAG page.