UK Student Archery Association

SExSW [22/Feb/19]

A review of the BUCS regional qualifiers will follow the Southern qualifier, being held this weekend at K2 in Crawley. Most of the clubs taking part will come from SEAL and SWWU. Conveniently, both those leagues had a fixture last weekend, whilst the BUCS Northern Qualifier was going on. In NEUAL, matches E6 and N5 have also been published, with NEUAL round 5 (matches E5, W5, N4) and NEUAL round 6 (W6 only) delayed by technical problems. UKSAA is still waiting for news of E-League Round 3 and SSS match 5.

Starting in the South East and much as match 2 had thrown around some unexpected placings, match 3 was at it as well. Imperial and Southampton broke clear of the field, with the Imps running away with a 54 point win on 2175 - a solid team effort with no one individual over 552. Southampton totalled 2121, with Harry Moncrieff Macmillan on 562. Nearly 50 more points behind, BUTC hosts Reading recorded their best finish in a SEAL fixture/first podium since March 2012, with a score of 2072. Surrey and Sussex were 4th and 5th, at either end of the 2040s. Matthew Sharpe (Surrey) top scored in the match with 574. Down in sixth place, missing some regulars and the last team over 2000, were London, despite Dominic Collis' 568. Elsewhere Jonas Skackauskas (Brunel) scored a 560.

See the updated SEAL 2018/19 page. London had led the table from Imperial by 3 points, however finishing 6th, coupled with Imperial's win, meant a 5 point swing. With two matches to go, any of the top three could easily finish champions. Imperial have 41 points, London have 39 and Southampton have 38. Reading's 3rd in the match saw them jump up to 4th overall, with a little cushion.

In the South West, 11 points covered the top three in the match that was hosted by Bristol. Bristol have hosted BUCS National Finals event in 2017 and 2018 but had never previously hosted a SWWU leg indoors. Swansea prevented Exeter winning a seventh consecutive SWWU match, scoring 2144, but it was close. Exeter's total was 2138 only 6 behind the Swans, and only 5 ahead of hosts Bristol. There were no scores in excess of 560, but the top 6 archers were sandwiched between 553 and 549.

See the updated SWWU 2018/19 page. Exeter were 6 clear and with second placed Plymouth not appearing in this fixture, that lead grew to 7, despite dropping to second in the match itself. Plymouth drop from second to fifth, whilst Swansea leapfrogged Bristol. Exeter have 39 points, with Swansea on 32 and Bristol on 31.

In the parallel novice matches there were wins for Southampton and Bristol who both now sit third in the tables. Southampton rattled in 1489, with overall leaders London in second spot on 1416. Essex were third on 1320, just ahead of the main pack. Bristol won with 1455, with Swansea on 1367 and Exeter 1323. London's novices now lead Essex by 6 points overall, with Southampton up to third, one behind Essex. Swansea lead Exeter by 2 points, with Bristol another two back.

As previously mentioned, results from NEUAL matches E6 and N5 have been published. York scored 2097, beating Sheffield (1953) and Huddersfield (1919). Teesside scored 1951 to beat both Sunderland and Newcastle, both of whom finished in the upper 1700s. Sunderland had just enough to hold off Teesside in the novice match 1219 to 1196. York fielded the only other complete novice team.

SEAL, SWWU (and NEUAL) are all expected to use BUCS qualifying as a match in their totals.