Chieftains show potential in first State competition

By Ginna Young

In just their first year as a program, the Lake Holcombe archers have impressed their coaches and fans, with their commitment and determination. For the student-athletes, that means getting up for 6:30 a.m. daily practices, and not neglecting their educational opportunities.

“They did all of this while maintaining good grades,” said assistant coach Ashley Carothers. “Over 80 percent of this team are academic archers.”

It was also the first trip to State competition for the students, which took place March 24-25, at Wisconsin Dells, with the team shooting for a score of 2,803.

“I’ve been very impressed with the progress that we have made in our first year having a team,” said head coach Tom Rocque.

Earning the highest score for the Chieftains, was freshman Logan Jaedike, in 16th place, with a score of 272, followed by junior Blake Hilger, in 26th, with a 261. Next highest was senior Preston Hover, in 34th, with 207, while sophomore MacKenzie Bera had a 256 for 38th, and sophomore Owen Meddaugh placed 39th, with a 255.

“The archers have been dedicated and because of that, have shown major improvements in their scores and abilities since the beginning of the year,” said Rocque. “We are a young team, with a ton of potential going forward.”