Bella Otter Takes First in the U21 Women Compound Bow Division at the 2023 State Championships

Otter

By CHRISTIANNA MARKS

ATASCADERO — Local archer Bella Otter brought home first place in the U21 Women Compound Bow Division at the first tournament of her 2023 archery season. She also broke multiple records at the tournament, including some of her own from previous years. The 2023 State Championships took place in Tulare, California, on the weekend of Friday, Jan. 6, to Sunday, Jan. 8, and officially kicked off the indoor archery season.

“I kind of like to think of it as a way to put what I’ve been working on, in a little bit of the offseason, to the test in a slightly high-pressure situation. So more than just my backyard,” Otter said of getting back into the tournament setting. “Typically, when you start going to the first ones [tournaments], you get a good idea of where you’re at. So you’re like, ‘okay, I’ve improved on this and this and this,’ and then also you’re kind of like, alright, I have a pretty good idea of what I can do and what else I need to do before we start hitting the tournaments that are on the national, big championship scale.”

In her quiet season, Otter has been working with new-to-her arrow brand, Victory Arrows, dialing in on how to shoot with them in her own non-competitive surroundings.

“I had been experimenting primarily with some new