People may say it takes time to do great things, but our Highlands Archery Team proves otherwise. In just two years, our archery team went from nothing to one of the school’s main clubs. With that being said, it took a lot to to get the club to where it is now.

When the team was first created, there was a decent amount of students interested in being on the team. Most of the archers were not too familiar with a bow and arrow, which meant that practice was vital. This prompted the students to learn a new skill.

However there was one problem, the facilities. The school didn’t have a place for the team to practice, so they had to look for a facility that could accommodate their team. The team decided on holding practices at the Armory. The Armory was not without its drawbacks, though. Sophomore Maggie Cayton said, “There was always basketball going on there too, so it was really loud and it was far away.”

Even with some of the problems the team faced, they did their best to meet twice a week to practice. With the frequency of their practices, the skill level of the shooters increased. “This year everybody is so much better, it’s kinda crazy” Cayton commented. Even though the shooters were more skilled than they were previously, they still had a lot to learn and were not as competitive in regards to tournaments. When the first year came to an end, the archers couldn’t wait for the next season.

The team started strong this season with many new members and also many returning teammates. The team changed where it practices to the middle school cafeteria this season. With this change in location, after school practices became less taxing on the students and their parents, since its now so close to the students. Also, the problem presented from basketball players interrupting their shooting is now a thing of the past.

This year, the team has decided to take on a more competitive edge compared to last year. Sophomore Gannon Ehrman said, “Archery last year was a lot more recreational, but now there were cuts on the team, and we’re going to try to get into more tournaments, and it’s a lot more competitive this year.”

The team has already participated in several tournaments this year. Tracy Houston, archery coach, commented on the team’s progress this year, “This year’s team is starting off strong because of the experience they are bringing from last year, and we have added a few new, strong shooters as well.” With a great start to the new season the archery team is setting the bar high for their upcoming competitions.