University of Cambridge Sport

Cambridge University Athletic Club
www.cam.ac.uk/societies/athletic
President: Andy Owen, Selwyn
Men’s Captain: Dan Bray, Robinson
Women’s Captain: Clare Palmer, Downing
Secretary: Kieran Miller, Gonville & Caius
Cambridge University Athletic Club (CUAC) was the first university-wide athletic club to be established in the UK in 1857,
followed by Oxford University in 1863. This perhaps makes CUAC the oldest university athletics club in the world.
The first Inter-Varsity Athletics match between the two Universities took place in 1864, 32 years before the birth of the modern
Olympics. Today the Varsity Match holds great importance to CUAC, for while there is a distinguished history of rivalry through
the decades, the match also provides a sporting platform to demonstrate the superiority of Cambridge over Oxford on a
universal level.
In 3 out of every 4 years, CUAC and OUAC will come together to compete against American Universities in the oldest
international athletic series in the world. The Harvard-Yale matches date back to 1894 and the Penn-Cornell series has roots in
1921. Every 4 years, the English Universities will tour the US over Easter to compete against all 4 of the US institutions, the next
tour being in 2005.
Blues awarded 2005 – 06
Ben Carne, Churchill
Dan Bray, Robinson
Andy Owen, Selwyn
Ben Richardson, Churchill
Richard Ward, Pembroke
Kieran Millar, Gonville & Caius
Phyllis Agbo, Trinity
Alison Hackney, Jesus
Clare Palmer, Downing
Matthew Haslett, Churchill
Varsity Match
Cambridge Men lost to Oxford by 112.5 points to 99.5 points. Ben Carne gave an outstanding performance with three
individual wins in the 400m, 200m and the 400m hurdles, and two relay victories in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m.
The Women also lost by 102 points to 88, but Phyllis Agbo (pictured left) had a stunning six individual wins in the 100m, 200m,
Triple Jump, Long Jump, Javelin, Shot Put, and she won in the 4 x 100m relay.
Other News
On Valentine’s Day at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena, The CUAC men’s team put on an astonishing performance in
their first fixture of 2006, to beat Loughborough, UWIC, Birmingham, Brunel, The Army, Navy and RAF! Nothing should be
taken away from the women’s team either, who scored a fantastic 3rd place.
25/26th Feb, Sheffield, British Indoor Championships. The men placed 9th overall from 35 Universities, whilst the women
finished in 27th.
Notable performances on the Men’s side include:
• Ben Carne’s 48.99 400m and 5th place in the final
• Paolo Natali’s 5th place finish in the 3000m final with 8:36.86
• The 4x200m Relay Team of Ben Richardson, Ben Carne, Kieran Millar and Dan Bray. Also placing 5th overall with 1:30.3.
• Steve Benson’s fantastic controlling victory of his 800m semi-final to stake a final spot. (1:58.02 – 6th overall)
• Also: Dan Bray (7.18: 60m, 22.71: 200m), Ben Richardson (8.53: 60mH) & Tom Wolf (1.90m: High Jump)
• Richard Ward unfortunately fell in the 3000m final whilst in a good position.
• On the Women’s side, Claire Day ran herself into the final of the 1500m with a massive PB of 4:40.35. Catherine Wood
claimed a semi-final spot in the 800m after a 2:22.60 heat run, and Clare Palmer launched the Shot to 10.56m.
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