April 12, 2018
Since classes resumed after a long winter break, the team has been constantly busy with practicing, volunteering, and most importantly, competing against other archers around the country!
State Archers of California Indoors:
In late January, with less than a week of practice time, the U.C. Merced Archery Team crammed into vans and drove to Tulare, C.A. for the annual S.A.C. Indoors tournament! Targets were a mere 40 cm in size and were placed around 18 meters away from the archers. Although this was the first tournament of the year for many archers, the first ever for many of the freshman archers, and the first time shooting since November/December for many U.C.M. archers, the team pulled through, placing fairly high in rankings, and showing the other teams that they are not to be messed with.
National Indoor Championships:
Less than a month later, a small coalition of U.C.M. archers made their way to the state capital, Sacramento C.A., to compete once again indoors! Archers shot considerably better this round, with a couple making the top 10 list in their divisions. Good relationships were built between the U.C.M. archers and other teams like Humboldt State and San Jose State.
West Regional Collegiate Championships:
Although it took place during the last few days of spring break 2018, and two weeks of practice was canceled prior due to a heavy winter storm, U.C.M. sent its largest coalition of archers to West Regional in late March/early April at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Out of practice, sleep deprived, yet highly determined and dedicated, our archers stood their ground and ended the qualification rounds on day one with high scores and hopes. For team rounds and elimination rounds, our archers kept energized thanks to a Red Bull sponsorship that provided them with free drinks. Although none of the archers placed in those rounds, they put of a fight against top archers from U.C.L.A. and other skilled teams.
