On Target to Win

Louis Roldan and Arya Sant, Co-Editor and Staff
November 2, 2022

Among the 17 sports and 57 teams Lake Highland offers, archery has to be one of the most unique. It is no secret that our ar-
chery program has been no stranger to success, as they have repeatedly competed in and won National and State Championships. At Lake Highland, archers begin their athletic careers at a level that fits their abilities and progresses until they reach their full potential. With practices almost daily, these athletes are some of the most dedicated students on campus and are always ready for a challenge.

(Above) Cleo Richardson, grade 10, Aniston Goldstein, grade 12, and Alexandra Caballero, Class of 2022, all share the same passion for archery. Alexandra shared how she found her niche through joining the archery team: “I joined the team during my Sophmore year, and everyone was very supportive. It was fun to watch how I improved throughout my time on the team.” Alexandra now serves as an active mentor to the underclassmen on the team, and continues to push them to do their best while still learning about new ways to improve their strategies on a daily basis. In fact, Cleo and Aniston have learned a great deal from Alexandra’s experience, which have helped them in fixing their mistakes and forming new bonds in the process. Photo by Arya Sant. (Above) Graphic courtesy of Clipart (Photo by Arya Sant. (Above) Graphic courtesy of Clipart)
(Above) While it used to be home to Lake Highland’s wrestling team, the archers have managed to settle in quite well to their new field house. In addition to a few outdoor renovations, Senior portraits and several important awards can be spotted adorning on its walls. These small changes mark the new and improved archery program that young Highlanders are becoming eager to join. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)
(Above) Within the archery team’s field house, dubbed, “The Hut” by archers, are custom stations that house each athlete’s personal equipment. It is clear that having an organized area is key to having an organized
mind, which prepares these archers to perform to the best of their abilities during competition season.
Ethan Leckie, Class of 2021, reminisced on one of his most memorable archery experiences: “I remember
being at my Olympic Archery in Schools competition, and my opponent was in the lead. Even though
I was extremely exhausted, because of the intense heat, I
pushed through and managed to have a comeback win.” Ethan’s perseverance during a challenging moment
describes why the sport is so worthwhile for so many archers. Photo by Luis Roldan. (Photo by Luis Roldan.)
(Above) Sam Poteshman, grade 12, explains that every archer on the team has a different colored arrow which helps them distinguish between each other’s arrows
when they go to collect them. Bright lights also shine on the targets, casting shadows on the arrows and making it easier for archers to see where their arrows landed. They
also place wooden boards around the targets so that the arrow pierces through the wooden material instead of damaging the actual wall and allowing it to preserve in mint condition. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)
(Above) Aniston Goldstein, grade 12, spends time fixing
her arrow by reglueing the fletching. Before practice begins, archers ensure their bows and arrows are aligned and safely equipped. Members of the Lake Highland archery team are exceptionally skilled in both shooting and main- taining many different types of equipment.
Photo by Luis Roldan. (Photo by Luis Roldan.)
(Above) There are various arrow types an archer may use,
which can be determined by the type of competition or bow. There are four main parts of the arrow: the shaft, arrowhead, fletching, and nock. The shaft is the long
spine, and the arrowhead is the tip of the arrow, which comes in contact with the target. The fletching can be plastic vains or feathers, and the nock holds the arrow
into position, located near the rear end of the arrow. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)
(Above) Many members of the archery team gather around the inside and outside of the shed in order to track the individual scores of each other. Brianna Yoskin, grade 10, stands nearby with a clipboard of each score.
Three archers shoot at a time, standing near the entrance in order to maintain the proper distance away from the target. They assume shooting positions, nock the arrow, draw the bow, aim, then proceed to release the string and follow through with the motion. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)
(Above) Cleo Richardson, grade 10, is being coached by Mrs. Gloria Boisvert during a practice in which the
team was deciding who would qualify for the state championships. Mrs. Boisvert works as an assistant coach for Lake Highland’s archery team by supporting
and motivating all members of the team along with the head coach. During this practice, the top 10 competed against one another by shooting at the targets and individually tracking the score on white-
boards. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)
(Above) Within the archery shed, there are many racks that hold the various bows each student uses in practice and competition. The type of competition that
students participate in determines the type of bow they will use. For the Olympic Archery In Schools
(OAS) tournaments, Olympic-style recurve
bows are permitted. Photo by Arya Sant. (Photo by Arya Sant.)