4 minute read
Local Archery Champions
Local Archery Champions
Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent
From February 16 to 19, local archers were triumphant when they competed at Grande Prairie at the Alberta Winter Games.
Local Vegreville Wildlife Federation coach Jamie Lowes and coach Miranda Rendle (Lloydminster) took nine archers from Vegreville, Lloydminster, Chauvin and Wainwright.
The Zone 7 archers came home with six medals (four of those brought home to the Vegreville Wildlife Federation Archery Club).
The Zone 7 team placed in the following medal standings: first- U15 Male compound - Silas Skinner(Chauvin, AB), first - U15 Male Compound - James Lowes (Vegreville, AB), second - U17 Male Compound - Shaemus Miller (Wainwright, AB), second - U15 Female Compound - Adiana Monaghan (Vegreville, AB), second - U17 Female Recurve - Kate Bibkewich(Vegreville, AB), third - Mixed Team Compound - Silas Skinner and Ellyott Perillat (Vegreville, AB).
Other team members placed the following: Tobias Lehmann (Vegreville) U17 male Recurve-sixth,, Ellyott Perillat (Vegreville) U17 female compound-fifth, Sophia Mouyios (Vegreville) U15 female compound-eight and Tasin Behm (Lloydminister) U15 compound male-eight.
Zone 7 Zone Representative Valerie Lowes explained, “Coach Jamie was impressed how the athletes competed but was more impressed by the sportsmanship and support that the archers showed to their team and other competitors.
The team had some ups and downs during the competition but they gave it all they had! The archers have since competed at regionals and will be heading to provincials in April.
The experiences that the archers and coaches had were once in a life time and created life long bonds and new friendships.”
Archers mentioned what competing was like for them.
Tobias Lehmann said, “My experience was awesome. I started shooting a compound bow recreationally only 10 months ago. I changed to a recurve bow in December only a few days before the Zone 7 tryouts. I made the Alberta Winter Games team in U17 Recurve. Since the Winter Games are every two years, I won’t be able to compete next time around.
The Alberta Winter Games were awesome as it felt like the Olympics as we travelled as a team from Vegreville to Grande Prairie, slept in sleeping bags and ate with the athletes in a local high school.
I had only three competitions in archery before going, only been shooting Recurve for about two months and didn’t have all the fancy equipment that my competitors had. I was able to win my first round in the double elimination. I did win an end in the rounds when I lost. One of the ends was against the Gold Medalist. That was cool! I didn’t win a medal, but I had so much fun and built friendships with others from our Zone 7 team. I got along with even the people I was shooting against and got a couple of phone numbers to stay in contact with.
I will be completing in the Indoor Regionals soon in Edmonton and U18 Provincials in Blackfalds in April.”
Archer James Lowes commented, “The experience was amazing! I met tons of nice people, made some new friends, and got to do what I love-shooting archery!
The highlights were winning the gold medal and shooting tens.
I believe I did well because I put the work in for it and did what my coach told me.
I challenged myself by getting myself to be prepared and go and compete.”
When James was asked if he plans to do from here, he admitted that he wants to try out for Alberta Winter Games in two years as it will be in our zone. “I just competed at Regionals and am waiting for my results. I will also be competing at Provincials in April.”
