A pair of bullseyes put Teslin’s Levi Stoneman at the top of the heap on Saturday.
The 12-year-old hit two bullseyes to post the top score at the third annual Yukon Outdoor 3D Archery Championships at the Biathlon Yukon range on Grey Mountain Road.
With 11 points awarded for a bullseye, opposed to 10 points for the inner most circle, Stoneman scored a 202 and won the cub male traditional division. The second highest score on the day was
Rob Ingram in the master over-60 male division with 200 points.
“It was fun,” said Stoneman. “I’ve done better before. (I’ve scored) 200-something – it was better than 202.”
Stoneman added he wasn’t surprised by winning his category, and for good reason. He has won his division numerous times before. Stoneman won the pre-cub division at last year’s outdoor championships and the cub title at the indoor championships this past May.
He also competed for Yukon at the 2014 North American Indigenous Games in July.
Younger brother David scored 72 points to win the peewee male traditional bow division on Saturday.
A total of 16 archers took part in the championship in which competitors take aim at three-dimensional foam rubber targets in the shapes of animals – everything from a fish to a moose.
Not all of the competitors at the event, hosted by the Yukon Aboriginal Sports Circle and the Whitehorse Archery Club, were as experienced as Levi.
Whitehorse’s Jacy Sam was competing for her first time.
“I enjoyed it. It was new because I haven’t done outdoors before,” said Sam. “And I’ve never been in a competition for archery either. I just started archery not too long ago.
“More people should join in. Not many people do this these days.”
The 17-year-old, who was alone in the cadet female compound bow division, also competed at the North American Indigenous Games, but in canoeing, winning five medals.
Sam is interested in next representing Yukon in archery at the Canada Winter Games next February in Prince George, B.C.
The Yukon Aboriginal Sports Circle, the governing body of archery in the territory, will be hosting tryouts for the Games in a couple weeks.
The competition at the Canada Games is indoor target archery, the same as in the Olympic Games.
“Canada Games is sort of a stepping stone to Pan-Am Games and Olympics,” said Gael Marchand, executive director of the Yukon Aboriginal Sports Circle. “It’s really competitive archery with sights and it’s indoor on targets.
“It’s perfect for the Yukon because I think right now that’s where there’s more growth – on indoor targets – because of our weather. We have such long winters, so indoor targets are perfect for us – we can shoot all winter in the gym.”
The Sport Circle will send a team of four – two male, two female – to compete at the Canada Games with two in compound and two in traditional recurve bows.
After selecting a training squad in a couple weeks, the final team selection will be made following the Sport Circle’s first-ever indoor target tournament on Dec. 14. The tournament will be open to the public.
The Sport Circle also plans to host its first interschool championship next spring.
The Whitehorse Archery Club currently hosts 3D shoots Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Takhini Elementary School.
“There are a lot of people in Yukon who are shooting 3D, practicing at home, but a lot are recreational shooters and many don’t come to competitive archery for 3D,” said Marchand. “It’s slowly building up, especially with the young guys. The youth like coming and shooting, getting their score and seeing how they do.
“We still need it to grow a bit because there’s a national championship for 3D, and a world championship, but right now we’re still at the beginning stage.”
Results
Peewee male (traditional)
1st David Stoneman – 72 pts
Pre-cub male (traditional)
1st Thatcher Daniels – 150 pts
2nd Chance Hassard – 104 pts
Cub male (traditional)
1st Levi Stoneman – 202 pts
2nd Kyland Simon – 135 pts
Cub male (compound)
1st Kyle Lloyd – 42 pts
Cub female (compound)
1st Nila Helms – 93 pts
Cadet female (traditional)
1st Serene Pretorius – n/a
Cadet female (compound)
1st Jacy Sam – 116 pts
Cadet male (compound)
1st Dick Corvin – 141 pts
Senior female (traditional)
1st Laurence Rowles – 68 pts
2nd Melissa Carlick – 41 pts
Senior male (traditional)
1st Graeme Brighton – 152 pts
2nd Ty Daniels – 77 pts
Master male 50 (traditional)
1st Thomas Rowles – 121 pts
Master male 60 (traditional)
1st Rob Ingram – 200 pts
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com