Pinpoint accuracy from a contingent of local Cranbrook sharp-shooters continues to put the East Kootenay city on the map in the world of archery.
The Cranbrook Archery Club sent a handful of athletes to a pair of events in early April, bringing home a total of four medals (two gold, two bronze) and a brand new provincial record.
Keelan Boyle and Luc Volard each claimed gold medals at the 2015 B.C. Indoor Provincial Championships in Oliver, with Volard staking his ownership of a provincial record in the process.
While Boyle and Volard competed on provincial soil, Brittany Johnson brought home two bronze medals from the AAE Arizona Cup in Phoenix.
Brittany Johnson (junior division) was joined by fellow compound competitors Elaine Johnson (senior division) and Kevin Evans (men’s open para division) at the AAE Arizona Cup, April 7 to 12.
Brittany and Elaine, both of Cranbrook, competed in the compound combined women’s event, with Brittany earning a bronze medal after finishing third in the junior women division.
Brittany scored 678 of 720 possible points on 72 arrows from a 50-metre distance to claim bronze.
A total of 11 junior women competitors, including Brittany, shot in the event.
It was a busy weekend for Brittany, who also claimed a bronze medal as a member of the Canadian women’s compound team, which also featured Fiona McClean (Windsor, Ont.) and Tricia Oshiro (Calgary).
The Canadian women finished third behind first-place Mexico and second-place United States.
Finally, Brittany represented Canada as one half of the nation’s mixed team, competing alongside Patrick Pregent (Orleans, Ont.). The duo finished fourth in the mixed event, losing a tight match against Mexico by a 151-150 margin.
Next up, Brittany will compete at the 2015 Canada Cup, slated for May 16 to 18 in Maple Ridge, B.C., before heading to Yankton, S.D., for the 2015 Youth Archery World Championships June 6 to 15.
Elaine Johnson finished her weekend 27th among senior women compound shooters, scoring 603 points.
Jaffray’s Kevin Evans finished his weekend ninth amongst 21 competitors in the para men’s open event, scoring 636 points.
Earlier in April, the Cranbrook Archery Club sent two athletes, Keelan Boyle and Luc Volard, to Oliver for the 2015 B.C. Indoor Provincial Archery Championships.
Both Boyle and Volard claimed gold in their respective divisions.
Competing in the junior recurve event, Boyle shot a two-day total of 1,004 points to claim first place by a 370-point margin.
In the senior compound category, Volard narrowly edged Brendan Von Richter for the gold medal, scoring 1,189 points to his opponent’s 1,188.
Volard’s score not only earned him a gold medal, it also broke a provincial record previously held by another Cranbrook archer.
In 2013, Graeme Black established a record mark of 1,181 of a possible 1,200 points in junior compound competition.
Volard, a junior-aged archer, competed in the senior division at the indoor championships as there were only two registered junior-aged competitors.