ENTERPRISE — Students from several different schools including West Lincoln and Enterprise stepped up to a line at 10 yards and 15 yards and shot arrow after arrow at targets Thursday evening. The Dart landed close to where the archery meet was taking place. 

Riley Martin, a junior from West Lincoln, and Broley Harveston, a sophomore at Enterprise, shot phenomenally and consistently. Once students slung arrows down range, they clapped as they walked to the target for scoring. Sportsmanship is prominent. 

Martin said this is her fifth year shooting archery at West Lincoln.The program is offered under Archery in Mississippi Schools, also known as AIMS, by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. 

She said her desire to shoot a bow began when she was in third grade. One of her dad’s friends had a daughter on the archery team. They weren’t really close so why Martin picked up a bow is unknown. 

“None of my family did archery or anything so I don’t really know why. I just always wanted to do it and it has been a thing ever since third grade,” Martin said. “My first year I broke a clipboard and pencil with a shot. I’ve gotten better since then. I don’t shoot things on top of the target anymore.”

At least one archer managed to shoot a clipboard on top of the target Thursday. The board held the score sheet and clattered to the gym floor. 

Archery meets are fairly quiet besides the clapping once the shooting is done. If one listens closely they can hear the whistle of the arrow flying through the air before it makes a thud against the target. The arrows have a rounded field point for safety. 

Each bow is a uniform compound bow with minimal draw weight, no sight and arrows are released by fingers. Martin said she enjoys archery because she is able to focus and not think about anything else. 

“When I start to score high I get excited and I have to take a deep breath. As long as I watch myself I do pretty good,” she said. 

She practices twice a week at school during the season and will practice at home too. 

“My proudest moment was when I shot a 256 at state last year,” she said. “I was the number two shooter for my school. I think I’ll do it in college and stick with it for a good while.” 

Martin said she plans to be a nurse. 

“It has always been my passion,” Martin said. “I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field.”

Harveston shot a 281 Thursday evening, the best score possible is 300. He got his first bow when he was six and joined the team in 8th grade. His dream is to carry on a family tradition of being the top archer in the state. 

“My family have all been archers. My dad and grandfather won the Mississippi Archer Award,” Harveston said. “I’ve been to state every year and this is my third year shooting. My family is the motivation to be better. There is pressure too but I try to compete with others and be a good sport. I want everyone to be as good as I am, if not better.” 

One thing he enjoys about archery is the people he has been able to meet with it. Harveston used to play baseball but didn’t find the same joy for it as he did archery. 

Without AIMS, he wouldn’t have anything else to do. 

“Archery is something that I can enjoy and it calms me down. To shoot a bow, it is fun. I like the people in the sport and it is fun to be on the team and help others,” Harveston said. “There is no other sport that I really like. I practice four times a week and on the weekends when I can.” 

He and other Enterprise students stayed after the meet Thursday to practice shooting. Head Coach Lauren Jordan described Harveston as a “sweet kid.” 

Harveston has some big dreams. 

“I want to go to college for engineering, I want to get a scholarship with archery and win the Mississippi Archer Award,” he said. “You have to get past everyone and be the top shooter. Archery is the biggest sport in Mississippi so I’ll have to shoot better than a lot of people. It all begins with shooting higher in practice.”