Aim High, Score Higher
A look at the WCMS Archery team at the most recent 3D tournament in Anderson County
The Archery Team shoots a practice round. Photo by Morgan Fitzpatrick.
On February 2, 2019, the Woodford County Middle School Archery Team attended a 3D tournament in Anderson County.
During a tournament, participants start out in one lane. They walk up to their quiver and set the tip of the bow on the ground. When everyone is ready, the coach will blow the whistle once, communicating to the archers to start shooting. Round one is a practice, while the other three are scored.
In 3D shooting, the target is placed on the animal in the kill zone. In this tournament, the animals consisted of rams, gazelles, deer, bears, coyotes, and turkeys. Each animal is a different distance from the starting point, and the shooter gets five rounds at each target. Shooting at an animal is very different compared to shooting at a target. “3D shooting is different because you are shooting at the kill zone versus a bullseye,” said Emily Fitzpatrick, a sixth-grade academic archer, “It feels more like a hit or miss kind of deal.”
The middle school’s team members were definitely the ones to watch this weekend. It was either go big or go home, and they went big! Our highest scoring boy was eighth-grader Jackson Reed with a score of 278/300. Our highest scoring girl was seventh-grader Sarah Bradley with a score of 248/300. These kids gave it their all, and watching their arrows fly across the gym was incredible. Woodford wasn’t the only school that attended and competed really well. Anderson County’s highest middle school score was a 284/300. Tates Creek’s highest middle school score was a 266/300.
While sitting in the gymnasium, we had to be quiet. Our phones had to be silenced, and the loudest anyone spoke was at a whisper. This helped the archers stay focused and not become distracted by something as simple as a ringing phone. “I just have to block it out and not get distracted,” said seventh-grade archer Jackson Curtis.
The new year has brought in great success for our middle school archery team and has even helped raise Woodford’s sports image. Both Team One and Team Two have represented Woodford greatly, with team one taking 2nd out of eight compared to the other schools in our area.
Click here to view scores from each tournament.
The next tournament for the Woodford County Middle School Archery Team is February 16, 2019, at Western Hills High School, Frankfort.
Morgan Fitzpatrick is a freshman at WCHS and this is her first year with The Jacket Journal. Morgan loves to read all types of books and enjoys watching...
