February 16, 2020, by brzmjb1
BUCS Nationals 2020 | Sunday Roundup | The curtain falls on another memorable Championships!
The 2020 BUCS Nationals championships will be remembered not just the medals won but the magical memories that our athletes earnt. When the curtain fell on the 2020 Championships in the Sheffield, University of Nottingham were leaving with 17 medals, including 7 golds and with a number of National titles.
Over the last three days, the 145 student-athletes have competed in the#GreenandGold across 7 sports, and the they left with a even stronger sense of pride.
As the final day started, Nottingham athletes were packed, checked out of the hotels and ready to perform. Students were recovering from qualifying events, others ready for their first day of competing but all in the zone.
Athletics
The final day’s action started on the track. Millie Finch ran in the 200m to kick things off at EIS and despite not originally planning on running the event, she ran 29.01 a new personal best!
There were 15 competitive heats for the men’s 200m, representing Nottingham were James Alexio and Ollie Spiro. Spiro ran a season best of 22.94 in the heats to qualify for the semi-final where he placed 5th.
In the field events, Emilia Del Hoyo Perez competed in the shotput final, where she threw 11.01m- adding significant distance from her qualifying throw of 10.58m to finish 9th. The heptathlete closed BUCS Nationals with the long jump final where she jumped a 5.90m, an indoor PB and the first time she has reached that distance since 2015. This placed her in 5th .
Commenting on her jump, Perez said:
“I am so happy to be back where I was jumping. I feel lighter as my current training regime suits me best, I’ve cut down weight training and I think it compliments my jumps.”
The next competition Perez will compete in is the Spanish National Championships in two weeks time.
Perez achieving an indoor personal best in the long jump final.
Badminton
University of Nottingham were represented in every badminton competition as the final day of the badminton got underway with a gruelling schedule ahead of the competitors.
Men’s Doubles
Sam Smith and James Youle fought for Nottingham in the quarter finals of the men’s doubles but after three competitive matches opponents Alex Cooke and Ben Jarvis took the win and the boys nationals journey was over.
Women’s Doubles
Emily Westwood and Sian Kelly picked up a bronze medal in their semi-final.
Women’s Singles
After upsetting the number 2 seed on Saturday, Khin Gon Yi Lin, played in the semi-final. She met Katarina Vargova who won, Li picked up a bronze medal and Vargova went on to win the competition.
Men’s Singles
Staring in the Men’s singles was Johnnie Torjouson against rival Sam Parsons. The pair met last year in the semi-final where Parsons came out on top and Torjouson settled for a bronze medal. Tourjouson was ready to change his story at Sheffield this evening. Torjouson had a strong first set putting pressure on Parsons to win 21-14. Parsons came back, upping his game to take the second set, 9-21. It was all to play for in the final set, crowds of #GreenandGold teammates supported Johnnie and he won the set confidently 21-13 to earn the gold medal and championship title.
Commenting on his performance Johnnie said:
“My game has got more solid over the past year, I specifically wanted to attack better in the final today, I did that well and that is how I won gold.”
Johnnie Torjussen on his way to gold in the badminton men’s singles.
Mixed doubles
James Youle and Sian Kelly had an unlucky draw to meet eventual winners from Loughborough, Max Flynn and Fee Teng Liew in their quarter finals.
Emily Westwood and Johnnie Torjussen breezed through the early rounds and qualified for the final. Here they faced Flynn and Liew from Loughborough University. The Nottingham pair took a competitive first set [21-19], much to the entertainment of the crowds who had stayed for the final fixture of the day. Flynn and Liew pressured the Nottingham pair to win the following two sets 13-21, 17-21. Westwood and Torjussen brought the silver medal back to Nottingham.
Judo
Only a short walk away from the action at English Institute of Sport , the Women’s judo team competition took place in iceSheffield. BUCS Silver medallist Ebonnie Bridges was back in action alongside Louisa Lee and the Nottingham pair fought through their qualification pool yet narrowly missed out on a bronze – finishing just outside of the medals in 4th.
The men’s judo team of Cameron Jackson, Daniel Richardson , James Johnson, Joseph Cushway, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Adam Watson and Gytis Jusikas finished 5th.
Ebonnie Bridges, in the Women’s Team event.
Karate
Club Captain and Third year chemistry student Jas Mehat fought his way to a semi-final in the U60 Kumite. Last year he enjoyed success in the same competition where he made the last 4 and came home with a bronze medal. He entered the bout determined to improve on his 2019 placing, and he did just that by winning a Silver medal. Mehat was beaten by highly experience and eventual winner Cuba Paris, from University of Sheffield.
After the final Mehat said:
“I only started Karate when I came to University so its amazing that in my third and final year, I have a silver medal. I have fallen in love with karate and just want to train all the time!”
UoN Sport scholar, Charlotte Hope, started her karate career after trying on a family holiday and now she competes internationally where she became English Karate Federation’s first youth Olympian. Competing in the U61kg Kumite, Hope won Bronze after a difficult draw and going on to win the repocharge against Middlesex.
Erasmus students Julia Kern turned up to a training session, after 4 years away from training karate, two weeks ago and by the next evening she entered BUCS Nationals. The law student won bronze in the U67 weight category.
Commenting on her return to the sport, Kern said:
“I would have never thought about winning a medal as I’ve only just started again after 4 years off, it feels amazing to be back.”
Jas Mehat fighting his way to a personal best silver medal.
Swimming
UoN Sport Scholar and para-swimmer, Oludaisi Adefisan, swam the mutli-disability 100m backstroke in 1:23.61 and collected a silver medal.
The women’s medley relay team comprising of Sofia Allen, Millie Stochbrook, Alexandra Heard and Cira Fletcher won the B final in a time of 4:32.63.
Sofia Allen in the 400m medley team B final.
Fencing
Men’s Eppe
Men’s Eppe had three fighting for Nottingham Henri Kopra, Timothy NG, David Clewett. The standard of the competition in the pool was high and the three were seeded:
Henri Kopra seeded 48
Timothy NG seeded 53
David Clewett seeded 55
Scholar, Henri Kopra had a difficult draw through the knockouts due to his seeding in the middle of the table but won his last 64 match 15-14. He continued to fight well in the competition despite only returning to the sport weeks prior due to illness. He finished in the final 16.
Women’s Sabre
DeAna Oliver won all 6 of her pool matches and only dropped 5 points to qualify as 2nd seed. She won her last 32 match in style, crushing her opponent 15-2. In last 16 she won comfortably 15-5 to enter final 8. The challenge was upped as Oliver entered the quarter final and faced Chloe Haliwell, but Oliver remained focused to come out on top 15-11 to secure a semi-final and with that become the first woman to win a medal for Nottingham in fencing.
What medal that would be was decided in the final against GB number 1, Caiti Maxwell from UCL. Maxwell’s experience shone as she executed flawless fencing against Oliver, the final score was 15-5 and Oliver took home the silver medal.
Following the final, Oliver said:
“I got to the final by executing control in the speed of the game. BUCS Nationals is very cool, it was an honour to represent Nottingham and add to their great sporting legacy.”
DeAna Oliver on her way to becoming the first Nottingham female fencing medallist.
After months of preparation, early morning training sessions and team talks the BUCS National Championships are over for another year. Nottingham students loaded onto the busses back to Portland Hill with personal bests, medals and sore throats from supporting!
Alex Perry, Assistant Director (Performance) remarked on the success this weekend:
“It’s an outstanding performance, 17 medals, 7 golds, it’s as good as we could have hoped for this weekend. I want to congratulate all the students and staff from each sport, who represented Nottingham magnificently with the right spirit and the right attitude.”
BUCS Nationals Medal Tally (Final)
Gold – Mixed Team Kata – Karate
Gold – Lauren Fretwell – Women’s Senior kata
Gold – Dylan Traves – Men’s Senior Kata
Gold – Women’s Kumite Team – Karate
Gold – Stefano Lucchetti – Men’s Sabre
Gold – Amy Platten – 48Kg Individual Dan Judo
Gold – Johnnie Tourjoson – Men’s Single Badminton
Silver – DeAna Oliver – Women’s Sabre
Silver – Ebonnie Bridges -U63kg Individual Judo
Silver – Jas Mehat – U60 Men’s Kumite
Silver – Emily Westwood / Johnnie Torjussen – Mixed Doubles
Silver – Oludaisi Adefisan– Multi-disability 100m Backstroke
Bronze – Charlotte Hope- U61 Kumite
Bronze – Julia Kern- U68 Kumite
Bronze – Women’s Badminton Doubles – Emily Westwood/Sian Kelly
Bronze – Shane Wilson- Men’s Badminton Singles
Bronze – Khin Gon Yi Lin -Women’s Badminton Singles
You can catch up on the University of Nottingham’s progress on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from BUCS Nationals 2020 on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Attention will now turn to BUCS Big Wednesday, the end of the road for the BUCS team sports, with 52 matches set to be hosted by University of Nottingham at David Ross Sports Village and other Nottingham venues on 25th March 2020.
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