II-IVs Varsity 2023

Sunday 26th November: Priory Park, St Neot’s.

Oxford 3 - Cambridge 2.

"3 C’s on the Crest

'21 we’re dreaming,

'22 was [redacted]

'23 redeeming!”

The build-up

After week 6’s selection letters, team meals, kit handouts and group training followed. Moving closer to the date, the interim between the Wednesday session and Sunday 26th brought its own set of events. Some highs included Lizzy Apsley’s gorgeous turtle banner, praised by all alike. Even Clara Hartley’s barely recognisable attempt provided entertainment and, crucially, hype. However, the lows were also pretty heartbreaking. As is always the case, the teams announced at selection were forced into a series of late changes due to terrible luck and this is always difficult. To fall at the last hurdle after two gruelling selection races and earning selection is, from experience, hard to take. Huge respect goes to those individuals who had to forego the chance to display their talent for the good of the team. Nonetheless, OUCCC’s strength in depth did not falter and replacements were hastily made. Charlie MacMillan and Alex Hammond joined the Snails, and Miles Weatherseed and Oscar Jones joined the Tortoises. On the women’s side, Rhiannon Paton stepped up from Mob to support the Turtles.

9:15am on Sunday arrived sooner than expected, as it always does. A bus with selected teams left promptly to ensure time to set up the tent and get the women’s IIs warmed up for their 12:30 race. The second coach, commandeered by Club Captain and amateur people-herder, Jared Martin, was hot on Coach 1’s heels. No Gaps was a mantra truly taken on board by all who heard Matt Seddon’s rousing team talk the day before. For a while, indistinct chatter and nervous people listening to their race day playlists was the scene on coach 1. However, this was all to change when Alex Bampton requested some music on the group chat. Having dedicated time that should have been spent on Philosophy and Theology to renovating the OUCCC songbook, renditions of “Hit me Baby one more Tab” and “Seddon, Matt Seddon” (to the tune of “Bet on It” from High School Musical) were employed by Rhiannon to raise spirits and engage a beneficial level of hype. This level tripled when Naphtali was ‘randomly’ selected to belt out 3 C’s on the Crest, a task he truly relished. 

Upon arrival, the Turtles had an hour to walk the not-yet-laid-out course, and elected to undertake a team bonding exercise of finding a bush in order to save time. Jared and his travelling gaggle of Blues helped locate numbers, erect the tent and distribute the hundreds of signs which had made it onto the bus to ensure maximum cheering efficacy for their II-IVs compatriots. Finally, the scene was set. After a rousing team talk by turtles’ captain, Charlotte Buckley, turtles assembled on the start line.  

Race Reports

Women’s IIs. Win: 21 (Oxford) - 61 (Cambridge)

A fairly unceremonious “On your marks, go” signalled the start of the women’s IIs. Other than a rough idea of pace, how things would pan out was uncertain. While Oxford women definitely have strength in depth, on paper, the teams were very evenly matched, perhaps even weighted in Cambridge’s favour given some late changes to our team. We needed to be able to react to any moves which might be made. As the race started, things looked very even and “no gaps” was a vital cheer by the Oxford crowds to keep things all to play for. Oxford needed to make a move and control the race, as Cambridge boasted a European U20 competitor in the 800m, and so things could not be left until the end. The brave soul who took the race on was Mared Owen, dragging the first Cambridge runner with her and, as was her plan, three Oxford runners. Clara Hartley and Lucy Thompson followed in the next group, staying close to their Cambridge rivals in order to cover all surges. Completing the first lap of the course at 3:37 pace, Mared’s move proved too much for the Cambridge IIs, and a group of 4 Oxford women separated at the front following the second hill. This stayed pretty constant, and Charlotte, Lydia, Rhiannon and Mared claimed the first four places. However, as Charlotte shouted to a livestreaming Twood, the battles behind the first four were even more interesting. Emerging from the woods, Clara Hartley shouted at her teammate Lucy, and heroically, these two turtles closed the gap on the Cambridge runner in front of them and held out for fifth and sixth place. Molly Skeil and Anouska Brooks outran some Cambridge runners to increase the Cambridge score yet further. This ensured the maximum points for the first 6 Oxford scorers and set the Turtles impressively apart from their rivals. 

Men’s IIs. Loss. 40 (Oxford)- 38 (Cambridge)

After watching the subtle prosecco spraying of the women, the Tortoises felt inspired but also had a lot to live up to. After some 7th week changes, the task was harder than we might have hoped. As we expected, Jonny Cornish tore the field apart with a characteristic smile on his face and genuine joy in his eyes any time somebody cheered him on. Jonny, dubbed “the nicest man I have ever met” by at least 3 people on the day, dragged a Cambridge runner out with him who regretted his life decisions by about 2k into the race. This was entertaining for the Oxford crowds. Behind this 1 horse race came the battling for positions and points. Initially, things were looking promising, with Matt Fuller and Miles Weatherseed in the mix at the top end. However, while Fuller held on heroically and was rewarded with a 3rd place finish, the rest of the Tortoises were ultimately beaten by the better side on the day. Credit to Oscar and Ethan for staying together the whole race and keeping off the back of the main group, which made things a little closer than they might have been. We’ll get them next year.

Men’s IIIs. Win. 35 (Oxford) - 43 (Cambridge)

Setting off shortly after the Tortoises, the Snails provided another nail-biting watch for Club Captain, Jared. Charlie MacMillan might have seemed to be on the verge of being dropped off the back when the race came into its first dog leg of the 3 lap course, as Renshaw swore angrily, but did a characteristic Charlie move of moving through strongly to become one of the most valuable late substitutions to the team. Another worry was Thurso Willett, given his blatant breaches to the OUCCC drinking ban with 2 back to back club nights in 7th week, but, against all the odds, Thurso pulled through for an individual 3rd, closely following Graham Tuohy-Gaydos who took the individual title for Oxford. One of the most satisfying battles of the day was Tom Barrett showing his 800m class by pipping Tom Adolphus, his Cambridge rival, over the finish. Overall, this was a great race to watch. Thanks to some great cheering from the crowds around the course, the Snails closed the gaps enough to push Cambridge’s points up on the day, resulting in the win.

Women’s Mob. Win. 624 (Oxford) - 640 (Cambridge)

As the curtain closed on the Snails’ victory, face paint was applied, ribbons and other dark blue touches were added to racing outfits, and the Oxford women’s mob huddled together for a team talk from Mob Match Captain, Antara. Credit where it’s due, Cambridge’s female mob was absolutely massive and more than redeemed their poor showing at Shotover last year. What this meant for Antara’s smaller travelling mob was that every position would count in the final scoring. This meant, just as for the selected teams, that “no gaps” was the operative phrase. Things looked good at the front, with Bea Munro returning from injury for a stunning solo race, followed by Alex Gandee and Catherine Westhead. Oxford claimed the first 5 places in the Mob. A case for women’s thirds, some might say, or at least evidence of the quality of the mob in the absence of the advantage in terms of quantity. But would this be enough? Onlookers remained unsure as the race came to a close. While Oxford took the first few spots, they were followed by a difficult-to-tame current of teal. With some quality runners from Oxford missing from the Mob, it was down to every woman to get in front of the scorers for Cambridge. On this occasion, the banners, hype and grit prevailed, and by a narrow margin of 16 points, a win was retained. This also meant every Oxford women’s team won on the day, which was pretty special.

Men’s Mob. Loss. 988 (Oxford) - 412 (Cambridge)

Sadly, while size disparity had been tempered by outrageous quality in the women’s mob, the late call ups to the Men’s Thirds for Charlie and Alex Hammond meant that frontrunner Daniel Bundred lacked company. The size difference on the start line indicated that this would be a tough race for the Men’s Mob, and, sure enough, the tide of teal was on this occasion a tsunami which led to heavy Mob defeat for Oxford’s men. Gaps proved insoluble due to the sheer quality and quantity of Cambridge’s mob. Instead, individuals having a race that they were happy with on the day became the cheering priority for the vuvuzela-bearing crowds out on the course. From Josh Pearson’s sensible and bonk-free race, to Edward Mason’s beaming smile every time he was cheered, the crushing defeat after years of Mob victories was easier to take.  

Reflections

Overall, then, we canter into Week 8 with a 3-2 advantage over Cambridge and 2 Blues’ matches yet to be decided. While the margin was not quite so satisfying as the 5-0 of 2021, the highlight had to be the Women’s IIs who started off our Varsity campaign with a show of bravery, heart and grit. There was definitely evidence on display that, as a club, our pace and depth has improved a great deal. The winner of the women’s Mob, Bea Munro, was running a similar pace to what she ran in II’s in 2021, a race which earned her a Blues reserve spot. The top four women in II’s were quicker than at least 4 Cambridge Blues women over the same course used for selection 2 weeks prior, running between 3:36-3:43/km pace, where I had written 3:45-50/km pace as the annual target for Women’s IIs. In terms of the losses, there are rational reasons which we can take on board as a club and lessons learned for the Blues to take into Saturday. Let’s scream our lungs out for the 16 runners left to close our Varsity campaign.