Owasso Archery Team: a hit or miss?
By Caleb Parker
Photo provided by Kresta Bowman
Although many weeks have passed since the triumphs and straight-shots of the Owasso Archery Season, many of these accomplishments were unnoticed by the surrounding community.
As a small club that is unaffiliated with Owasso Athletics, the archery team tends to keep a low-profile due to the few recognitions of their prowess outside of their organization. When they go to compete, they enter in two different styled competitions, making their practices essential if they want to have a chance at winning their tournaments. Though they still compete and take competitions seriously, however, there is an occasional low-turnout at events from members of the team.
Eighth Grade Teacher and club sponsor Frank Blair explains the system of Archery in their organization and the decline in student participation.
What tends to happen is … juniors’ and seniors’ [lives] get a little more busy and a little more complicated, so people that may have [done] it before … have jobs, and other [things].”
What’s even more disappointing was the fact that this year’s state competitions, that of which are usually held in Tulsa, were converted to a virtual competition at the Owasso High School because of inclement weather. Blair describes how state competitions couldn’t be postponed due to the constant booking of the Tulsa Expo center, which was where the state tournament had been held each year.
“That building is booked, like, every day for something, so they had their date [finalized],” Blair stated. “If they can’t make it, there’s no room to reschedule. We had to go virtual, which means we had to have a third party watch us shoot [and] verify that we weren’t [cheating].”
Though it didn’t feel like the team’s past competitions, they still shot their bows with incredible dexterity and precision. Coming in at third place out of the entire state, the team celebrated their victory despite the half-cancelled competition.
Blair denotes the training at practices that helped them receive their results and hit all their marks during their competitions.
“We’ll shoot for an hour and that’s just what we do—we just go shoot. Because it’s repetition, the more you do it, the better you’re going to get,” clarified Blair.
Not only did they make significant wins at state championships—they also performed significantly well at their other tournaments as well.
The team made impressive progress and scores throughout their tournaments at Claremore, Sand Springs, and Cleveland. However, none stood out as much as their archery competitions at Jenks—with multiple students making new Owasso records.
OHS student Kelsey Baier earned a 278 out of 300 at their first Jenks NASP competition, and student Isham Cornelius scored a 271 out of 300 at their second Jenks NASP contest, marking the two highest scores ever recorded for their team in this division.
“We set a record in varsity for the highest team score we’ve ever made … [and] Isham Cornelius scored the highest of any individual for Owasso,” Blair recalled.
To put this in perspective, this means that out of the 30 shots they made, roughly 20 of them were all bullseyes and the rest no lower than a score of 7.
Sophomore and dedicated team member Bennett Parker shares his thoughts on the Jenks competitions.
“We went to Jenks twice, and Jenks is pretty fun. It’s a little more laid back [and] not as big as some of the tournaments we went to,” smiled Parker.
Picture of Bennett Parker provided by Kresta Bowman
When asked about his preference in competition type, Parker explained, “I like Varsity more, definitely. I think the bows are more fun to shoot, [because] it’s got, you know, everything you can change on it, so everything is set up for my style.”
Although the season ended in a somewhat anticlimactic tone, the results at the end of the year helped the team process what improvements they could make in the next season. Blair shares his thoughts on how he is helping the team’s development and how these current archery students have more potential than they may realize.
“My biggest role is to be a provider of an opportunity,” Blair denoted. “Here’s the opportunity to practice—if you can do it, do it. I’ll make myself available. Here’s a competition we’re going to go to. If you can make it, make it. I think if this group, if they’ll continue, [and] we don’t lose a lot to attrition … could be a very strong team in the future.”
With the school year quickly approaching its end, the archery team will be at a pause until the next season rolls around in their sights. But trust me—they’ll be waiting to fire the first chance they get to aim again.