Oxford’s dominance in the Men’s match was clear from the first track event where Craig Morten stormed to the first Blues standard of the year in the 400 hurdles. Further victories in the 110 hurdles and 400 metres made him a strong contender for Athlete of the Match. Yet he was denied by an even more impressive showing from Aidan Reynolds, fresh off lighting the Olympic flame this summer, who won 4 events and recorded a Match Record in his favoured Javelin to place 4^th on the OUAC All Time list. Double wins were also recorded by Andrew Penney, who defied a tough schedule to win the 1500 and 3000 metres while Sam Trigg hinted at an end to Cambridge ownership of the horizontal jumps, coming close to a Blues standard in the Triple Jump after also winning the Long. Alex May and George Gundle sealed a Dark Blue sweep of the sprints in the 100 and 200 metres – Cambridge failing to even take a 2^nd place in any sprint. These excellent individual performances were capped off by a series of slick well-rehearsed changeovers resulting in a huge win in the sprint relay.

Although Cambridge won the Women’s match by almost as large a margin as the Oxford men, there were definite bright spots for Oxford. Montana Jackson marked her return to jumping after a long injury lay off by winning the Triple Jump by over two metres and adding the Long Jump in a much closer competition. Helena Copley showed her ability to get over differing obstacles by winning both the sprint hurdles and the High Jump, in a 1-2 with Jackson, while Jenny Richards added the Shot to the Dark Blue column and Maria Harper the Pole Vault. The best performance of the day, however, belonged to Rebecca Simpson who threw the Blues Standard in the Hammer to put herself into the club’s all-time top 10 but was narrowly beaten by a strong Cambridge opponent who also edged out Anna Niedbala in the Discus by less than 60cm. Oxford narrowly won the field events, which bodes well for that section of the FEAR Match, even if they were handsomely beaten by a Cambridge team which broke four match records on the track.

The match as a whole was the highest quality it has been for some years and the results for both men and women being reversed from last year’s Varsity matches suggest that this year will be closely fought on all fronts. Many hard hours at Iffley Road lie ahead if victory is to be secured.

(Thanks to Men’s Captain Dan Hooker for the match report.)

Go to Freshers’ Varsity Match Results

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In the men’s Blues match, it quickly became clear that the overall standard was very high and the result would go right down to the wire. Ex-Cambridge captain Mark Dyble, now running for the Dark Blues, overcame a hamstring strain to heroically win the 100m for the fourth year in succession, while men’s captain Bradford Waldie mastered the difficult and gusty conditions to win the pole vault.

Unfortunately, Cambridge excelled in the field with only Bradford and new club president Alex Probodziak victorious in the pole vault and the javelin respectively.  This allowed the Cambridge athletes to pick up plenty of points through the strength of their heavy throwers and horizontal jumpers.

On the track, Josh Gilbert was a resounding winner in the 110m hurdles, with all four athletes well under last year’s winning time, while fresher Adam McBraida picked himself up after a tumble in the 400m hurdles to win the 200m hurdles in a lightning-quick time, earning him a Full Blue. Other event winners were Chris Morter in the 200m, Tom Frith with an electric last 200m in the 5000m and Caspar Eliot in the 400m. Eliot and high jumper Freddie Hendry were the two non-winners to achieve the Full Blue standard on the day, Eliot in the 400m hurdles, and were unlucky to come up against stronger Cambridge athletes. Hendry in particular, who was defeated by a CUAC high jumper who added 9cm to his personal best in the high jump to eventually clear 2.04m and win athlete of the match for his troubles.

However, their efforts were not quite enough, as the Cambridge men emerged victorious, although some of their showboating during the final relay drew the ire of the crowd, a slight black mark on a day where everything else was contested with excellent spirit.

The women’s Blues match followed similar script, with every point fiercely fought over and every win crucial. Star of the show was incoming women’s captain Nadine Prill who was in imperious form as she took the 100m, 200m and 400m, the 200m in an OUAC record, and she was justly awarded women’s athlete of the match. This match also saw the last outing for OUAC stalwart Clara Blättler, as she looked to add to her five event wins from the last three matches. Unfortunately, a schedule shift due to a late arrival by Cambridge saw her favoured pole vault moved to after the 400m hurdles, so although she was victorious in the latter she was unable to reclaim her vaulting title for a record fourth year in a row due to fatigue and had to make do with winning the 100m hurdles instead.

Other excellent wins for Joanna Klaptocz in the mile, Jess Chen in the 5000m, Sue Altman in the shot (with Millipedes captain Katie Holder a mere 2cm back in second), Cat Hirst in the javelin and international oarswoman Kathryn Twyman in the steeplechase saw the scores level coming into the final event, the 4x400m relay. The race ebbed and flowed, the lead changing hands several times, and the final changeover saw Nadine receive the baton a good few metres behind the Cambridge runner. There was a brief nervy moment round the back bend where it looked as if the four previous races had left too little in the tank, but on the home straight a stunning kick saw her storm past to take the victory, and with it the match.

The second team matches (Oxford’s Centipedes and Millipedes against Cambridge’s Alverstones and Alligators respectively) were played out to a similarly high standard. In the men’s match, Edoardo Guaschino and Fabe Downs were double event winners on the track, while Jonathan Darby ran an excellent solo 800m, a first lap of under 54 seconds taking him to a huge win and personal best.

Exeter College’s Ralph Eliot was another notable performer, winning the 200m/400m double in faster times than the Blues match in both cases (much to the chagrin of his elder brother), and he was duly awarded the trophy for most notable second team performance. However, Oxford’s weakness in the field was again apparent, not recording a single victory, and the final result again saw Cambridge take a narrow victory by six points.

The women’s second team match saw the only clear cut result of the day. Sports Federation President and last year’s captain Helen Hanstock was ineligible for Blues this year, and instead had to make do with six individual event wins and two second places for the Millipedes. Hockey Blue Lizzie Totten swept the longer sprints, while Clemmie McAteer took the steeplechase in a fantastic time, beating last year’s Blues winner and qualifying her for the National U20s championship. In all, the Millipedes took 15 wins to the Alligators 5, to record a comfortable victory.

So a case of congratulations to the women and commiserations to the men, but thoughts of what might have been were swiftly forgotten in the night that followed. In truth, the turnaround from last year’s record defeats was in itself excellent, and the Men’s Blues can consider themselves unlucky that they didn’t make it a 3-1 overall victory. It will be up to the new committee, led by Alex Probodziak, Dan Hooker and Nadine Prill, to nurture the young talent and ensure that the club’s next visit to Cambridge for the 139th Varsity match is remembered more fondly than its last.

Men’s Blues: Mark Dyble, Caspar Eliot, Adam McBraida, Jake Shelley, Tom Frith, Alex Probodziak, Freddie Hendry

Women’s Blues: Nadine Prill, Clara Blättler, Jess Chen

by Ralph Eliot

(Thanks to Caspar Eliot for allowing me to copy/paraphrase the large majority of this article!)

The post 138th Athletics Varsity Match, 19 May 2012 appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

Your chance to race one mile on the track where the first ever 4 minute mile was run!

Fully officiated with electronic timing – get an official ‘Personal Best’ for this classic distance.

For more information please contact Chris McGurk:chris.mcgurk@wadh.ox.ac.uk

Open Races:
A series of open one mile track races, with 600m races available for U13s, graded according to estimated time or 1500m PB so that you’re running with people of a similar ability to yourself. All abilities welcome.
First race at 4pm – please arrive by 3:15pm at the latest. Enter online on the BMC website http://www.britishmilersclub.com/enteronline/
(You will need to create an account if you do not have a BMC or Power of 10 account. Anyone can do this – you do not need to be a paid-up member of the BMC to use their online entry system).

Minimum age is 11 years. You do not pay to enter in advance, but all athletes and spectators will be asked to pay a £3 fee to enter the stadium on the night. Race numbers will be given out at the registration desk on the day, race allocations will be announced before the first race. Changing facilities and a cafe for refreshments are available at the track.

Limited on-the-day entries for open races are available before 3:30pm, but we recommend entering in advance to avoid disappointment. It’s online (no need to post a letter) and you don’t pay in advance, so enter now!

BMC Races:
Paced BMC Mile races. First race at 5:30pm. Entry in advance only, via the BMC website. Entries close 25th July.http://www.britishmilersclub.com/ Entry £3 payable on the night.

Travel information can be downloaded here.

The post Iffley Mile 2012 appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

In the mens Blues match Oxford were dominant in the middle and long distance track events, as befits the famous heritage that includes, of course, Roger Bannister, the first man to break 4 minutes for the mile back in 1954. Chris McGurk looked supreme in winning the 1500m and he was ably backed up by talented fresher, Tom Frith, in second. Luke Caldwell took the win with a strong last lap in the 5000m and this was all the more impressive given that he had been third in a hard run 800m earlier in the day. The Oxford sprinters and field eventers battled hard all day but were generally outclassed by their Cambridge counterparts. One exception to this was Laurent Stephenson from Baliol, who won the Javelin with a personal best throw of 52.34m.

Eloise Waldon-Day was awarded the trophy for 2nd team performance of the day for her strong performances in the 400m, 200m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, discuss, javelin and shot put. It may have been noted that several athletes competed in multiple events and this reflects a lack of strength in depth across the board. This was not helped by the withdrawal of several of Oxford’s very best athletes at the last minute due to injury and ineligibility. With the British Universities championships being held at the new Olympic stadium in London next summer, the athletics club will look to recruit some talented new athletes to bolster the side for the Varsity match next year.

Oxford still have the upper hand in the overall number of Mens Blues matches, with 73 wins versus Cambridge’s 56. It will take a strong effort to overhaul the worrying trend that is beginning to develop, with Cambridge taking the win in the last three years, but Oxford are certainly capable of achieving that when the match returns home to fortress Iffley next year.

Women’s Blues: Katie Braham, Hannah Hogben, Kathryn Twyman. Men’s Blues: Jake Shelley.

by Jake Shelley

The post 137th Athletics Varsity Match, 21 May 2011 appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

Men’s Captain: Bradford Waldie (bdwaldie@gmail.com) – Blues Pole Vault

Women’s Captain: Eleanor Gatehouse (eleanor.gatehouse@chch.ox.ac.uk) – Blues/millipedes sprints

Honorary Secretary: Caspar Eliot (caspar.eliot@new.ox.ac.uk) – Blues 400m hurdles, 400m

Treasurer and Men’s Vice Captain: Ben White (benjamin.white@chch.ox.ac.uk) – Blues Triple Jump

Women’s Vice Captain: Katie Holder (katie.holder@new.ox.ac.uk) – Heptathlon

Social Secretary: Felicity Abbott (felicity.abbott@exeter.ox.ac.uk) – Blues/millipedes sprints

Fixtures Secretary: Helen Hanstock (helen.hanstock@magd.ox.ac.uk) – Alumni Heptathlete

Webmaster: Gareth Morgan (gareth.morgan@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) – Centipedes Pole Vault

Kit Secretary: Tom Frith (thomas.frith@st-annes.ox.ac.uk) – Blues 1500m

Alumni Rep: Catriona Witcombe (cwitcombe@googlemail.com) – Alumni Middle Distance

The post OUAC Committee 2011-12 appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

Please find below the timetable for the 2011 OUAC Cuppers Competition at the Sir Roger Bannister Track, Iffley Road Sports Centre, OX4 1EQ.

FIELD EVENTS

12.00 Pole Vault

13.00 Discus

13.00 Long Jump

14.00 High Jump

14.00 Javelin

15.00 Hammer

16.00 Triple Jump

16.00 Shot

TRACK EVENTS

12.30 400 m Hurdles

12.55 800 m

13.15 100m

13.45 200 m Hurdles Men

14.00 3000m Steeplechase Men

14.20 400 m

14.50 100m Hurdles Women

15.15 1500m

15.25 110 m Hurdles Men

15.35 5000 m

16.00 200 m

16.20 2000 m Steeplechase Women

16.40 4×100 m Relay

16.55 4×400 m Relay

Unless otherwise specified, events will be run with women first, then men.

There is a £1 entry fee per athlete per event.

The post OUAC Cuppers Trinity Term 2011 appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

At the classic Kinnaird and Sward Trophy match on the same day, good performances came from Tom Frith, back from injury and running well to win the 1500m, Fabian Downs taking second in the 3000m and Kevin Kimuana, who ran a 22.6second 200m.

The distance runners have already been chalking up excellent performances at BMC and Open meetings – particularly notable were Jake Shelley and Luke Caldwell’s performances in the BMC 3000m at Watford, and Andy Heyes and Chris McGurk taking stunning 1-2 in the Loughborough University BUCS trials races. Watch this race . It is all looking good for the Dark Blues with only weeks until Varsity…

The post Achilles Triumph at first LICC match appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

He won the Blue cross-country varsity match 3 years running: in 2002, 2003, 2004, was 3rd in 2005, and took a staggering total of 7 individual wins for the Blues team at the athletics varsity. At BUSA, Fraser completed the 5k/10k double gold in 2003, was 2nd in the 1500m in 2004, and repeated the 5k/10k in 2005, this time getting silver and gold respectively.

However, as true testament to the grit and determination that marks him out as one of the Hall of Fame contenders, in his final varsity match in 2006, Fraser ran the final few laps with a torn calf, after it became apparent that he needed to secure 2nd place behind Oxford’s Ben Moreau in order for the team to win the match. Shouting out that he would need medical help at the end of the race, Fraser dug deep and beat both his opponent tabs, helping to ensure the win. A true Dark Blue legend.

Fraser collected his award at the OUAC and OUCCC 150th anniversary and Hall of Fame Dinner, which was held at Keble College on the 3rd March. 10 OUAC Presidents attended, as well as special guests Ron Hill, Richard Nerurkar and Julian Goater.

The post Hall of Fame Winner Announced! appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.

We have acquired a number of notable new recruits this term, with Katie Braham winning the FEAR javelin event in her first athletics competition for 3 years, shot putter Jon McKinley taking great strides, and Roland Crouch and Sam Wareham turning their hands to the track after a winter of rugby in the 21′s. Another excellent find has been Nadine Prill, who is continuing the OUAC trend of talented German athletes with her long sprints prowess.

There were some very good performances at BUCS indoors, in particular, Clara Blattler achieving 5th place in the pole vault and Catriona Witcombe placing 9th in the 800m in a new indoor PB. The goal for the upcoming outdoor BUCS championships will be to field strong teams in both the men’s and women’s relays and to increase the number of dark blue finalists and semi-finalists – BUCS offers an opportunity for OUAC to show that it can punch above its weight against the classic ‘sporting universities’ – yes, there is more to University athletics than shoeing the Tabs.

With copious medals at SESSA and strong teams at the London Indoor Games and FEAR, we are looking in good shape to carry this momentum forward into the summer – the first outdoor competition is Kinnaird and Sward (23rd April) for the men, and LICC (23rd April) for the women – let’s come out all guns blazing.

OUAC alumni have also been competing indoors this season, proving that athletics life goes on A.B. (After Blues) – particular mention to Frances Smithson, who has had a fantastic season, jumping an excellent 1.75m in the high jump, and also Danny Eckersley, who has run a series of PBs in the 800m.

The post Roundup of the Indoor Season appeared first on Oxford University Athletics Club.