UK Student Archery Association

Episode III of BUTTS [12/Feb/20]

Three leagues, BUTTS, SEAL and the E, have all declared third round results in the last few days. We start in the Midlands.

BUTTS main division match 3 was held across the 1st and 9th of February, with a BUTTS div 2 match on the 8th Feb. See the fully updated BUTTS 2019/20 page.

From the first part of the match, Oxford set the bar with 2241 - a significant leap up on their match 1 and 2 totals in the mid 2100s. Loughborough were next just shy of 2200.

One week later however, Warwick claimed the win overall, managing 2306, but Birmingham fell narrowly short of Oxford's total, dropping to third place with 2236. This meant Warwick stretched their overall lead further. The result was Oxford's best finish in a BUTTS leg since they won two in a row, back in February 2015. Nottingham took 4th spot in this match on 2214, pushing Loughborough down to fifth.

William Pike (Warwick) shot a massive 595 to top score in the match by 20 points. Yang Pei (Oxford) hit 575 with Sarah Allaway and James Gardner (both Warwick) on 574 and 572. There were a further seven people in the 560s: Emma Davis, Sam Armstrong (both Warwick), Zinan Ni, Yang Ma (both Birmingham), Arthur Coveney, Chris Cooper (both Loughborough) and Ellie Jones (Oxford).

This was the first BUTTS Div 2 fixture of the year and the first not to feature De Montfort, who moved in to the main BUTTS Division this season. It was Leicester who took maximum points with 1976, to win by just over 100. This total would have been enough to beat 3 of the 9 teams from the main BUTTS match. Hosts Coventry edged second spot and were the only club to field a complete novice team.

Birmingham and Nottingham streaked 200 clear in the BUTTS main division novice (team of 4) match. Novice league leaders Birmingham impressed with all 4 novices breaking 500 for a total of 2076. Nottingham were not far behind on 2045, with Warwick third but on 1841. The top novices mirrored the order of the teams with Karmen Ng (Birmingham) on 546, Dominic Kelsey (Nottingham) on 541 and Clement Sorbier (Warwick) on 536.

With only the BUTTS Indoor Championships to follow, Warwick have a maximum 27 league points (3 x 9 for 1st place) and a 4 point lead over Birmingham. Warwick are therefore overwhelming favourites to lift the overall BUTTS league title for what would be a record 9th time. This would overhaul Cambridge's long standing record of eight titles since BUTTS began in 1995/96. Birmingham have 23 points and should finish second comfortably. There will be scramble for third though as Loughborough have 19, with both Nottingham and Oxford on 18.

In a pleasing (to the Editor) piece of symmetry, Birmingham lead the novice table by 4 points from Warwick. Birmingham are overwhelming favourites to win the BUTTS league novice title for the 9th time, extending their own record.

BUTTS Senior League title winners to date: