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Archers fill quivers for busy summer of shooting

It’s been a busy summer so far for five members of the Cariboo Archers.

It’s been a busy summer so far for five members of the Cariboo Archers.

Four of those members — Al Campsall, Jessica Mobbs, Dan Mobbs and Fred Streleoff — began late June with the B.C. 3D Archery Championships in Salmon Arm, where traditional archers stole the show.

Jessica, in the Instinctive Recurve Women’s Division, nabbed herself a gold medal while her dad, Dan, finished second to Streleoff in the Instinctive Men’s Recurve Division. Streleoff was selected to the B.C. Team heading to New Brunswick later this summer for the Canadian Championships following his performance.

Campsall, however, lost his first B.C. Championship in 10 years, picking up the silver medal in the compound division.

“I was quite disappointed with my shooting at the B.C. 3D Championships … and have been working diligently on my form ever since,” Campsall said. “I believe things are improving.”

As part of his preparation for the Canadian Outdoor Target Championships in New Brunswick at the beginning of August — Campsall is shooting for Team B.C. in target and field archery, rather than 3D — he travelled to Victoria recently to compete in the Canadian 900 target contest.

The tournament consists of 300 points (30 arrows) shot at each of three distances — 35 metres, 45 metres and 55 metres.

“I had never competed in a Canadian 900 before, but shot well,” Campsall said.

Campsall, out of 900 possible points, scored 880 — good enough to establish a new Canadian record (the old record was 863). Furthermore, Campsall posted a new Canadian record in all three of the distances.

“So, in one shoot, I set four new Canadian records,” Campsall said. “I was quite surprised, not unhappy, but quite surprised.”

Additionally, Campsall is one of the coaches, along with Ed Oliver, of the Junior Olympic Archery program in Williams Lake, which aims to introduce and train youth in the sport.

In June Campsall’s  pupil, Junior Olympic archer Emma Paterson, travelled to the Junior Olympic Program Outdoor Championships, hosted by the Quesnel River Archers, the Squamish Rod and Gun Club and the Cowichan Bowmen.

There, in her first ever Junior Olympic Outdoor Target Championships, Patterson finished third in the Cub Barebow Division.