UK Student Archery Association

SWWU titles go to wire [16/May/17]

This is a catch up article reviewing SWWU matches 2, 3 and 4. Match 2 was extracted from the BUCS qualifying events. Match 3 was a St George, Albion and Windsor (in Bath on 1st April) and Match 4 was a 1440 and Metrics (in Swansea on 6th May). The final SWWU fixture will be extracted from BUCS Outdoors and a reminder that the deadline for entering that is Monday 22nd May.

Most of match 2 was extracted from the Southern BUCS Qualifier, apart from Aberystwyth. Results here formed one of the stronger SWWU matches in recent times, with 5 teams over 2100 - something not achieved in any SSS, SEAL or NEUAL fixture. Exeter were the only side over 2200 however and they took maximum points as a result with 2226. Swansea fell just 1 short of the 2200 mark, with Bristol in third place on 2160. Bath (2141) and Cardiff (2125) were not far behind as 101 points covered the top 5 teams. In terms of individuals, the stand out score was Becky Martin (Bristol) who scored 588 beat the previous SWWU record by 7 and was only 5 short of the All Unis record. Ben Trudgill (Exeter) anchored his side home with 575, whilst there were efforts in the 560s from David Jenner, Gavin Tsang (both Swansea), Hugh Pearce (Bath), James Atkinson (Aberystwyth) and Alec Hodgkinson (Cardiff Met).

Match 3 was a St George, Albion, Windsor held in Bath on April Fools Day. Bristol took first place for the first time in a SWWU fixture, ahead of Exeter in second. Bristol become only the fifth side ever to win a SWWU match with a total of 2664, with Exeter on 2507. Behind the leading two in this match, Bath were third, with Swansea a distant fourth. Two senior All Unis records - ladies recurve Albion and gents longbow St George were smashed in this match. Becky Martin (Bristol) hit 902 to beat the old mark by a full 30 points. However Alex Newnes (Aberystwyth) put nearly 300 on the previous record of 244, scoring 541, an increase of 122% - itself, probably a record. Top gent recurve in the match was Ben Trudgill (Exeter) on 762.

Match 4 was a 1440 and Metrics held in Swansea on 6th May. Bristol won again, this time very narrowly from Swansea, 3823 against 3808, with Exeter back in third on 3525. For the second SWWU fixture in succession Becky Martin (Bristol) broke the All Unis record, this time with 1282, beating the mark of 1274, shot at BUCS in 2010. Top gent recurve in the match was Alec Hodgkinson (Cardiff Met) on 1142.

See the SWWU 16/17 page for the standings.

Bristol have finished no higher than 6th senior or novice team in their first two SWWU campaigns, but in 16/17 they are guaranteed at least 3rd seniors and 2nd novices and could still win either or both outright.

In order to win the championship:

Exeter - finish 1st or 2nd

Bristol - must finish 2 places ahead of Exeter. Could finish 1 place behind Swansea as long as it is by less than 733

Swansea - must beat Exeter by 2 places & 496 or 3 places AND must beat Swansea by 1 place and 733 or 2 places

Should the teams finish Swansea first, then Bristol, then someone else, then Exeter, this will cause all three to end the season on 44, the first such three-way championship logjam since SEAL 2003/04.

Exeter won novice match 2 but then fielded no novices in match 3 to tumble from 1st to 4th overall. Bath won match 3 but then fielded no novices in match 4, whilst Bristol won in match 4 itself. The results leave Swansea and Bristol in an effective shoot off for the title. Swansea lead by 1 league point, but have a slightly inferior aggregate, so should Bristol finish ahead of the Welsh side, they will take the title. Swasnea could possbily win the title without winning an individual match. Angus Macleod (Swansea), Michael Rawcliffe (Bath) and Tom Ledgerwood (Exeter) top scored in the respective matches, with Macleod pipping Ledgerwood 515-514 in Crawley.