The Summit Archery Team is once again headed to the North Carolina State Bullseye Tournament, set for Feb. 13 in Winston-Salem. This marks the team’s fourth year as a competition team and fourth consecutive year earning a spot in the state tournament.
To qualify, high school teams must rank in the top eight in their division. With a team score of 2,962 points, Summit Archery is currently ranked No. 7 among North Carolina high school teams—a tremendous accomplishment. At the upcoming state tournament, the team will also have the opportunity to earn a spot at nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, this May. Last year, four Summit archers advanced to nationals, and the year prior, two archers qualified and both continued on to the world championships.
The Summit Archery Team began with 13 members in its first year and now boasts 38 team members—and counting. Competing as a high school team, the group is composed of student-archers from fourth through 12th grades, as all archers compete in the high school bracket. During the regular season this school year, Summit Archery competed in six bullseye tournaments and participated in one 3D tournament in preparation for the upcoming 3D season. Summit also hosts its own bullseye tournament annually in November, called “Archery on the Summit,” with teams from North and South Carolina traveling to campus to compete.
Archery introduces students to opportunities beyond the classroom, including travel, competition, conservation, wildlife, and other topics that align with Summit’s place-based education philosophy. The skills archers develop on the range are also transferable to the classroom: consistency, reflection, and perseverance. Archery has even enabled some graduating student-archers to receive scholarships for their next academic step.
- Orlando Buck
Summit Archery Coach