KHSAA Archery State Championships - April 18, 2023

[Purple88]

This seems like where all the "Other" Sports get sent to the little kids table for Thanksgiving!

This Tuesday in Bowling Green at the awesome Ephram White Gymnasium in eastern Warren County, the KHSAA Archery State Championships were held.  It is broken out in 2 separate tournaments:  Boys/Coed (so you could have all boys - Like Trinity would and did have - or you could have boys and girls , but at least 4 of each on your scoring team of 12 archers) and Girls where you have all 12 girls (this is especially true for a school like Mercy here in Louisville with only girls, but other co-ed teams with strong girls can choose to form a girls only team).

To qualify for this, the top archery tournament in the state, the top 2 teams in each region of the state qualify (you earn that by placing in the top 2 at the regional archery tournament).  So 16 regions and 32 team qualify for each of the 2 separate tournaments.  Additionally, the top 3, non-team qualifying archers also earn their way into the State Tournament.  So if a girl scores the top score at the Regional Tournament, but her team isn't in the top 2 teams, she would still get to go to State.  

Roughly 100 archers shoot at one time at this tournament (roughly 325 shoot at each tournament total) over a total of 6 separate "flights" held during the day.  A flight is for a lack of a better term a round for an archer.  In that you shoot a total of 3 scoring rounds of 5 arrows each at 2 separate distances (10 meters and 15 meters).  You've seen an archery target likely before.  You get a 10 for a bullseye and less depending on how far away you are from the bullseye on the demarcated target.  2 archers to a target.

 

Kentucky is a TOP Archery State (if not the TOP State) with all the hunting that is fondly loved especially on the left and right banks of the state.  With that in mind, I would like to list the top 3 School in State for Each Tournament:

Boys/Coed State Archery Tournament:

1st Place:  STATE CHAMPION:  Harrison County - Score 2,004 (127 Tens)

2nd Place:  Logan County - Score 1,992 (122 Tens)

3rd Place:  Butler County - Score 1,986 (118 Tens)

 

Individual Award Winners:

1st Place:  STATE CHAMPION:  Taylor Conway - Harrison County - Score 295 (300 is a Perfect Score - All 10s)

2nd Place:  Avery Wilson - Mercer County High School - Score 293 (24 - 10s)

3rd Place:  Taylen Sowders - North Laurel High School - Score 293 (23 - 10s)

 

Girls State Archery Tournament:

1st Place:  STATE CHAMPION:  Harrison County - Score 2,018 (134 Tens)

2nd Place:  Letcher County - Score 1,997 (128 Tens)

3rd Place:  Meade County - Score 1,996 (125 Tens)

 

Individual Award Winners:

1st Place:  Sydnie Wells - Bourbon County - Score 295 (25 Tens and she is just a FRESHMAN!!)

2nd Place:  Tobin Maxfield - Butler County - Score 293 (23 Tens)

3rd Place:  Hope Moore - Meade County - Score 292 (23 Tens)

 

As you can tell, Harrison County don't play around!  Amazing effort by all these kids.  Archery is a tough mental sport that requires significant mental tenacity to carry on even when you don't shoot your best arrow.  It looks easier than it is.  

Archery is a great sport and growing across the United States.  The reason I love it so much is because it is the MOST FAIR sport there is.  ALL archers use the same bow (Genesis Original), arrow (Easton 1825) and participate on the same type range distances.  You can be a star offensive lineman on the football team or the top academic person in your school; makes no difference.

I coach at Manual High School here in Louisville.  I got into it because my daughter participates and then the school needed assistance to help cover.  Love the kids and great way to give back to your community and the future of our country.

Have to dad brag a bit.  My daughter qualified as one of the top scorers out of our very tough region, while our team just missed out in 3rd place at the regional tournament.  She shot a 282 at the State Tournament and finished 49th overall.  A great effort and way to close out her high school career.

I encourage you all to take in a tournament sometime when someone you know has a kid shooting in one.