That’s a wrap for ADC Vault 14.0, with the final matches completed on Sunday evening.
Before we dive into the standout performances from the closing weekend, let’s take a quick glance at who bagged the top three spots in each region across the UK and Ireland:
East of England: 1. Kevin Edwards 2. Michael Wildes 3. Paul Holloway
Ireland: 1. Raymond Mulvey 2. Niall Culleton 3. Oisin Monaghan
Midlands: 1. David Pallett 2. Graham Hall 3. Dan Nicholls
North East: 1. Dylan Grazier 2. Jordan Matthews 3. Mick Costello
North West: 1. Callum Goffin 2. Kevin Garcia 3. Jordan Brooks
Northern Ireland: 1. Jamie Robinson 2. Colin McCaughern 3. Neil Withers
Scotland: 1. Steven Johnstone 2. Andy Davidson 3. Conor Paterson
South East & London: 1. Stuart Dutton 2. Archie Self 3. Carl Wilson
South West: 1. Jamie Kay 2. Andy Steed 3. Neil Meneer
Wales: 1. Mike Huntley 2. Bryan Flew 3. Richard Rowlands
Yorkshire & Humber: 1. Tom Sykes 2. Darren Johnson 3. Ciaran Forde
Now, while those were the overall podium finishers, one man who really stole the show in the final week was Jack Drayton. The North West thrower didn’t even crack the top three in his region – in fact, he finished 11th – but good grief, did he go out with a bang. Four titles in Blackpool and Fleetwood over a few days. Not bad for a man apparently allergic to mediocrity.
Further south, in Basingstoke and Newbury, Archie Self decided to help himself to a hat-trick, locking in his spot among the South East’s elite. Two days, three titles – one on Monday and a brace on Tuesday, with identical averages. Statistically, that’s either an extraordinary coincidence or someone hit “copy and paste” twice when logging results. Either way, it’s fair to assume he only pocketed one lot of prize money. Still, a cracking double up and probably enough for Archie to take the rest of the week off. Either that, or he went a little downhill.
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Meanwhile, Michael Powell was the Tipton terror, picking up three wins including one in Stourbridge. Whether it was actually Dan Nicholls in a masked disguise is unclear, but the titles certainly didn’t argue. Also worth a mention: Pete Hughes, who chalked up a neat treble down in Evesham and Redditch – all in the mid-70s average range. Solid stuff.
North of the border, Scott Winder got in on the act, sharing victories between Forfar and Montrose – two towns that are likely to be geographically close but I am not aware of any huge football rivalry between the two so assuming they are based upon how players pick and choose their Vault events. Still, Scott’s week was well worth whatever mileage he spent. Down south, Shane Turner put together a tidy hat-trick around Didcot and the surrounding circuit.
Before we close the Vault 14.0 chapter, let’s tip our hat to the week’s top tungsten titans. Two players averaged north of 90 across a full tournament – and both have already had their names called. First, Archie Self, with a monstrous 93.17 in Basingstoke’s Academy on Monday. Then, Jack Drayton, who fired in a 92.12 during his Friday win at The Clarence in Blackpool.
And with that, Vault 14.0 is officially sealed shut. Time for everyone to rest the arm, recharge the batteries, and maybe give the scoring hand a bit of ice therapy – because ADC Vault 15.0 is just around the corner. Bigger, better, and almost certainly full of more drama, trebles, and pub-based geography lessons.
—–ENDS—–
Image: ADC
