GREAT FALLS — After taking home the Montana state archery title, the North Middle School archery team traveled to Salt Lake City for its first-ever appearance at the national championships — an experience students and coaches say they will never forget.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
Competing against hundreds of young archers from across the country inside a massive convention center, the team did not place in the top ten in any event. But for many students, simply making it to nationals was already a major accomplishment.
Coach Rieger said the trip became both a competition and a learning opportunity.
“Just watching other schools and how the coaches were working and visiting with other coaches and what their practices look like, it was a great learning experience for me, too,” Rieger said. “It was a bit like, ‘Oh yeah, we could do that. We should do some of those kind of things too.’”
Despite the pressure of competing on a national stage, several North Middle School archers still managed to post personal-best scores. A perfect score in archery is 300, and some team members scored as high as 260 during competition.
“You’re in there competing with 4 or 500 kids at a time in a giant convention center,” Rieger said. “Just for the kids to overcome that moment, the magnitude of it all was huge. And then they still are scoring personal bests. It was amazing.”
For student Arianna, qualifying for nationals was a moment that carried special meaning for her family.
“I remember my parents coming to my room and telling me I was [going to nationals],” Arianna said. “I was overly excited… and I found out talking to my family, I am the first person in my family to ever compete at a national event.”
Tanner said his inspiration to begin archery came from his dad, who also supported him throughout the competition in Salt Lake City.
“Mostly my dad got me into it,” Tanner said. “He does archery and hunts a lot and thought it’d be a really good way for me to learn a new skill. My dad sat behind me the entire time I was there, so he always cheered me on when I did good. And when I’d miss, I’d try and keep my composure and find that spot again.”
Preparing for nationals also required weeks of extra dedication and practice.
“I had to practice, and I started going home and practicing more,” Berkley said. “That’s actually probably the hardest thing I’ve ever worked for in my life. But yeah, it’s pretty fun.”
Now, with the experience of nationals behind them, students say they are already motivated for next season and hopeful more teammates will join the program.
“I’m hoping more sixth graders join us and have this experience of teamwork and having a fun time with each other,” Addison said. “I think we’re still going to have that strong and proud team.”
While the team may not have returned home with a national championship trophy, the trip gave students a chance to compete on one of the biggest stages in youth archery, and sparked excitement for what comes next.
They also added a big thank you to the community who supported and sponsored their trip: Scheels, North Western Energy, Moderne Cabinet, Marshall Orthodontics, and Lithia.
