Donnellson hosts first leg of 2012 archery triple crown

Harrisburg — The first leg of the Illinois Archery Shooters Association’s 2012 Triple Crown tournament was held in Donnellson April 1

The event featured 68 shooters, 32 of which competed in the 3D bow hunter division.

Southeastern Illinois College’s 3D archery team got its first taste of serious competition.

“I think our students did an outstanding job the first time out shooting against seasoned archers,” said Darin DeNeal, shooting coach for SIC.  “We had half of our team place in the top 20 overall in the division.”

Leading the way for the college was Josh Greywerth with a score of 288 for a seventh place finish. He was followed closely by Trent Thompson of Crossville with a 287 for eighth place. Aaron Head, Trevor Summers, and Logan Stacey rounded out the top spots for SIC with scores of 282, 278, and 269 respectively.

Archie Blair, the team’s head coach, feels that the tournament was a successful beginning for a young team just starting to show promise.  “Honestly, I didn’t think we would do as well as we did the first time out of the gate.  What really impressed me was that these students were having a good time competing in a serious way in something they enjoy,” said Blair.

“I want our shooters to perform at a high level, both on the 3D course and in the classroom, and to enjoy themselves.  I’m convinced that is what winning championships and being successful in life are all about,” Blair added.

Performance will be key when Southeastern competes in the national intercollegiate 3D tournament at the University of Missouri in October.  Last week, the college received word that it has been chosen to receive a $1,000 grant from the U.S. Collegiate Archery Association and the Easton Foundation to help defray travel costs associated with competing in the national event.

The team’s next competition will be May 13 at Kinmundy, the second leg of the 2012 Illinois ASA Triple Crown.