SPORTS
Sears earns two medals at world archery field championships
After a week of intense competition, facing the world’s best archers in the mountains of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Montague County’s own Connor Sears came away from the World Archery Field Championships with a team gold and an individual silver medal.
The Gold-Burg High School senior and the son of Dr. David and Pamela Sears was captain of the Team USA junior men’s team after qualifying for and finishing first back in June at the team trials in Darrington, WA.
Just making the team was an important milestone in Sears career after just missing out the previous year. At 17 years old, Sears was one of the youngest competitors and he was competing in the 18-20 junior division.
Field archery takes place in the mountains, requiring archers to have the adaptability to shoot at targets from extreme angles and weather conditions.
At this course, they had quite a ways hike up a mountain where they shot up a ski jump that has been used in the Olympics, with the targets getting farther and steeper as they shot.
Sears was part of a three man team representing the USA against teams from Romania, Great Britain, Sweden, Slovenia and from the host country Italy. Sears shoots a compound bow while his two teammates shot a recurve and barebow.
After a few days of competition, the junior men’s team total score of 2,033 was second to Italy. This meant Team USA got the second seed in the tournament portion and got a first round bye.
In the semi-finals Sears and his teammates easily won 59-50 against Slovenia to qualify for the gold medal match against Italy.
Against Italy, Team USA trailed at the end of every pass except the one that counted. They trailed 11-10 after the first shot, 24-21 after the second and 37-36 heading into the final target.
Fortunately, Italy’s final archer missed the target as Sears and his teammates pulled out the 45-44 win for the gold medal to erupted cheers from the crowd and chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!.” Sears helped anchor his team throughout the match, shooting an almost perfect 23 out of 24 points.
“It was an awesome moment,” Sears said. “When he missed, we just went ballistic and it felt like the greatest moment in the world.”
Sears’ competition was not done though. He qualified individually as well, and faced off against an Austrian in the semifinals.
Read the full story in the weekend edition of The Bowie News.
In its first match since last year’s state semifinal appearance, Saint Jo hosted Bryson Aug. 11 and took a 25-13, 25-12, 25-21 win over the Cowgirls.
The Lady Panthers lost some talent to graduation but have five seniors ready to have a successful season. Savannah Hil, one of the five, got Saint Jo rolling offensively with a four-point serving string, including a pair of aces. Abby Carter’s kill and Kamron Skidmore’s block helped put the Lady Panthers up 5-2 in game one.
Hadleigh Moore added a four-point string of her own to extend the lead to 10-3. Tatum Morman’s pair, helped by a Hill kill, gave Saint Jo a 14-5 lead. Bryson got within five before a Hill 3-pointer, with help by a Carter kill, put the lead back at 18-10.
After an Olivia Johnson kill broke serve, Jordyn O’Neal served up the final five points, with Johnson providing a kill to move things along.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Despite being the smallest school in the Brock varsity classic volleyball tournament, the Lady Indians finished 4th out of the eight teams there.
After losing to the host team in its first pool play match Aug. 14 18-25, 14-25 and also to Class 3A Wall 12-25, 8-25, Nocona rebounded to close out pool play with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Christoval. Sy Parker had 16 kills and 7 blocks in the three matches. Raylea Bowles had 12 kills, 17 digs and served up three aces. Maddyn Bowles had seven kills and 14 digs while Paige Davis had seven kills and 15 digs. Baylee Thomas added 11 digs.
From the setter spot, Kasi Castro had 20 assists, served up five aces and contributed 14 digs. Leah Meekins added 18 assists and six digs during the three matches.
To open Saturday’s bracket play, the Lady Indians posted a 25-18, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19 win over Fort Worth Christian. Castro staked Nocona to a 2-0 lead in game one. Kills by Parker set up pairs of points from Raylea Bowles and Leah Meekins helped Nocona negate an early deficit and take a 10-9 lead.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
County football teams had their first scrimmage of the season Aug. 14 with mixed results.
Forestburg hosted Azle Christian and Victory Christian. Under a new system with new head coach Cori Hayes, the Longhorns looked pretty good in the coach’s eye.
“The first team looked good,” Hayes explained. “Overall we need to work on our pace and blocking assignments and blocking assignments. Overall we looked good for the new regime.”
Forestburg hits the road to scrimmage Newcastle Aug. 21.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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