On Target: Diocesan Students Prepare To Compete In World Archery Competition
Young people from multiple parishes in the Diocese of Evansville are competing for world archery titles June 24-26 in South Carolina.
In the past several years, archery has exploded in popularity across the nation, attracting diverse groups of students and gaining spots in school athletic programs. Many of our own diocesan schools have adopted the sport and have been met with great success—even at the national level.
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) held its national championships May 12-14 in Louisville, Ky. More than 12,500 archers from grades 4-12 shot in three competitions: the bullseye competition, in which students hit a traditional target; the IBO 3D challenge, in which students shoot foam animal targets; and the Centershot competition, specifically for Christian schools and church youth groups.
Students from the diocese competed in all three national championships.
St. Agnes Grade School’s team competed in the elementary-school division of all three events. The team placed first in the national Centershot competition. This was the first year that St. Agnes has offered archery. Assistant coach Jacob Mayer said that next year, the school will sponsor two teams: an elementary-school team and a middle-school team. He expects to see even more students interested in the program after witnessing this year’s success.
Mayer said that the program has elicited a very positive response from the school community. “The school has really come behind us and supported us,” he stated. “The parents have really come on board.” Mayer also noted that the program has garnered support in the greater community. “The experience traveling, shooting on bigger stages; it’s generated a lot of excitement around the west side of Evansville, watching these kids compete.”
The team is currently preparing to participate in the NASP world competition, which will be held June 24-26 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. According to Mayer, 4,000 archers from 11 countries (including the U.S.) will compete.
Mayer emphasized that the St. Agnes team received great help from Reitz Memorial High School and its feeder schools in starting the archery program. Memorial’s program, known as the Tiger Archery Club, includes the high school and its feeder schools; it is in its fourth year. The club began as an elementary program; and the next year, Memorial High School introduced archery as a club sport. Members of the Tiger Archery Club also performed extremely well at the NASP national competition. St. Benedict Grade School’s team placed first in the middle-school division of the Centershot competition and 19th in the Bullseye competition, in which students from 206 schools participated. “Everybody put in their A-game, and it paid off,” said Craig Echert, coach of St. Benedict’s team. Several of its members, as well as students from Holy Rosary and Good Shepherd parishes, will advance to the world championships.
Memorial’s team also will compete in the world tournament. At nationals, the team finished 36th out of 232 high school teams in the NASP Bullseye tournament. The team also placed 19th out of 129 teams in the IBO 3D competition. Memorial student Morgan Daily claimed the title in the high school girls division of the IBO 3D competition, winning $750, a bow, a target and a trophy.
Members of the Tiger Archery Club practice together weekly at the Diocese of Evansville Catholic Center. Students of all ages practice together and use the same equipment. While more than 250 grade school and high school students already participate in the program, head coach Bill Daily expects participation to continue rising. “The program has grown aggressively year to year,” Daily said. “We expect even more next year. Every year we draw in more kids.”
Daily and Mayer believe that archery’s popularity is a result of its appeal to a wide variety of students. As Mayer said, “Everyone can compete—whether they’re tall or short, whether they’re athletic or not.” Daily added, “The nice thing about this sport is that a lot of non-traditional athletes participate.” He noted that the Tiger Archery Club includes students with a wide variety of interests, from band and choir members to football players to chemistry buffs. “I jokingly call it the Breakfast Club,” he said.
The coaches also noted that participating in archery has helped many students increase in focus and discipline—positive effects that have translated into improved classroom performance and behavior.
