Don’t let the size of the schools fool you.
Students from the Southeast Island School District traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, recently to compete in the 2013 National Archery in the Schools competition.
Some of the Prince of Wales Island competitors came close to winning their respective divisions; a few did well enough to take their talents around the world.
More than 9,000 archers from across the country entered the competition. The team from Southeast included both boys and girls from grades four through 12. As a team, the SISD kids scored 13th out of 156.
Jared Cook from Whale Pass School scored fourth in his division. He won a $2,500 scholarship, which he said he will use to help him attend University of Alaska Southeast next year. He also said it was a “blessing” to do so well in the competition.
Cook and his brother, Nathaniel, both made the All-American Team, which qualifies them to travel to South Africa to compete this summer.
James Stevens coaches the SISD team.
“What it is, is that we made the All American team, which is the top 16 shooters in the nation,” he explained. “They’ve been invited to South Africa. To help teach orphans how to shoot and also compete against, I think, seven other countries that compete.”
Stevens also noted that the team from Prince of Wales has been the top archery team in Alaska for the past three years.
