Local archery teams are coming home with two national championships, three runner-up trophies and a fifth-place finish after a strong showing at the S3DA Nationals in Metropolis, Ill., this weekend. A handful of individuals also earned podium finishes.
Owensboro Archery Club claimed first place in the high school club division, adding second place in the elementary club and fifth in the middle school club divisions.
Daviess County won the championship in the high school team division, while DCMS finished second in the middle school teams division.
Trinity High School finished second among the high school teams.
OAC – 1st place high school, 2nd place elementary, 5th place middle school club divisions
All three divisions of the Owensboro Archery Club finished the year with top performances, using strong showings from individuals along the way.
Anslee Roberson took second place in the elementary division of the tournament. She finished as the National Champion and National Shooter of the Year in the pins division.
Meg Curtis took fourth in the high school national tournament. She also earned season-long accomplishment of High School Open National Champion and finished in third place for the National Shooter of the Year.
Other top finishes in the tournament were Kent Wethington (MS 3rd place), CJ Jones (HS 4th place) and Emilee McFadden (HS 5th place).
“I am so proud of the entire OAC team,” said coach Chris Curtis. “This includes elementary, middle and high school. I lost count of the number of kids that posted personal best scores at the biggest event of the season. Our high school kids posted a team score that should stand for a long time as a score to shoot for. What was most impressive was the depth that they showed.”
DCHS – 1st place high school team division
Daviess County used personal bests from several competitors to hold on for another national title. Coach Kristi Wilson said with year-long support from the community and dedication from the archers, DCHS was able to finish strong.
“Our archers brought the A game this weekend,” she said. “We had kids that increased their score from day one by 20 and 30 points for day 2 to make their new personal best score. Our top 5 shooters presented some amazing scores and represented DCHS very well this week.”
Individually, Kynsley Redmon competed mid-week in the outdoor target national championship and walked away with a silver medal in the high school female fixed pins division. She also placed second in the 3D national tournament over the weekend after a shoot down involving the top five shooters for 3D. Redmon also placed second in shooter of the year in all three disciplines offered by the S3DA program.
Trinity – 2nd place high school team division
Following their first ever state title, the Trinity team wrapped up a strong season with a runner-up finish in only the second year of the program. Despited no individuals earning medals, they all posted strong results to help carry the team to the podium.
“Our kids shot great,” said coach Josh Payne. “Nobody made a podium finish, but we had several kids shoot their personal best. I am very proud of this young team. We have done a lot in only two years.”
DCMS – 2nd place middle school team division
Coach Matt Murphy said he was proud of the team for stepping up and outpeforming their own results form the first round. He said competing in national events also helps them grow both in the sport and in life.
“We are absolutely proud of our team and their performance this week,” Murphy said. “We had several that shot their personal best the first day then beat that the next day. This is the best program for a kid. It develops sportsmanship and camaraderie. I’m already looking forward to what next season has in tell for us.”
