Whitehorse’s Rocky Philpott says he tends to shoot a little better during a practice session than in a competition. If that was the case on Sunday, it wasn’t obvious.
Philpott registered the high score on the day at the fourth annual Yukon Indoor Archery Championships at Whitehorse’s Takhini Elementary.
“Competition will bring you down a little bit,” said Philpott. “Usually you don’t shoot as well than when you’re just here practicing (with) no pressure, not as many people, not as much going on. You’re not as worried about what the other person is doing. It comes into effect on competition day – you’re looking over your shoulder.”
With his score of 571, Philpott, who was one of five archers to break the 500 mark, placed first in the senior compound division. It was his first gold medal win after placing second in his first-ever tournament in December.
“I picked up the same compound bow eight years ago and have been using it off and on. Killed a couple bears with it,” said Philpott. “I’ve been practicing in the back yard a little bit, not a lot. I’m not a super shooter, I don’t practice to death or anything like that.
“You put a little bit of time in and you can get good quickly. To get those last 20 points to get up to those 300s, that’s what takes a lot of time.”
The fourth annual event, which saw 21 archers compete, marked the first time the field had four recurve shooters. (A recurve bow is a classic style of bow with stabilizer and/or a sight for aiming, and is the kind used in Olympic archery.)
Alan Hansen posted the highest recurve score of the day with 412 and was the only to crack the 400 mark.
He also won the team recurve competition with Amanda Chaulk, who was the top youth recurve archer in the individual competition with a 270.
“It was my first time competing like this, so it was a great experience,” said Chaulk, 14. “I started a year or two ago. My friend would do it and I always found it interesting, so I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it together.’”
Kate Koepke was the top youth barebow shooter at 181, Vincent Menard the top youth compound shooter at 490, and Tom Rowles was the top adult barebow scorer at 321.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com
Results
Peewee barebow
1st Kate Koepke – 181
2nd Janelle Virmoux-Jackson – 88
3rd Jake Tipton – 77
Peewee compound
1st Kieran Ritchie – 314
Pre-Cub compound
1st Wyatt Kapaniuk – 236
2nd Emmett Kapaniuk – n/a
Cub barebow
1st James Rumbolt – 173
Cub compound
1st Vincent Menard – 490
2nd John Tipton – 324
Cub recurve
1st Amanda Chaulk – 270
Cadet recurve
1st Devin Chief – 225
Junior compound
1st Leslie Kramer – 553
2nd Elias Barlow-White – 502
Adult beginner
1st Martina Amos – 256
Senior barebow
1st Laurence Rowles – n/a
Senior compound
1st Rocky Philpott – 571
2nd Vanessa Philpott – 504
3rd Dunca Tipton – 419
Master barebow
1st Tom Rowles – 321
Master recurve
1st Alan Hansen – 412
Master compound
1st Kirk Porayko – 541
Team
Open bow
1st Martian Amos/Kieran Ritchie – 135
2nd James Rumbolt/John Tipton – 120
3rd Laurence Rowles/Tom Rowles – n/a
Recurve
1st Amanda Chaulk/Alan Hansen – 135
2nd Devin Chief/Wyatt Kapaniuk – 100
Compound
1st Vincent Menard/Kirk Porayko – 277
2nd Elias Barlow-White/Leslie Kramer – 257
3rd Rocky Philpott/Vanessa Philpott – 256
