The local archery season picked up in a big way with eight recent National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) tournaments that Burke County student-athletes attended.
Bell
Among the biggest winners locally were the Drexel Elementary and East Burke Middle teams, who along with East Burke High junior Natalie Bell individually, each claimed three victories in as many events.
At Startown’s Christmas Shootout in mid-December, EBMS won the team portion, and EBHS and Icard placed second in the high school and elementary team standings.
Individually, it was an eastern Burke County sweep with Bell (295 points; 25 tens), EB eighth grader Luke Duncan (288), and Icard fifth grader Emily Carroll (270) each claiming their division titles.
Several members of the East Burke Middle School archery team are pictured after the Raiders won the Startown Christmas Shootout in Newton in December.
EAST BURKE MIDDLE SCHOOL / FOR THE PAPER
Drexel and East Burke Middle won team titles at the Eastern Burke Archery Tournament on Jan. 17-18, with Bell (288), EBMS eighth grader Aubree Garris (283), and Icard fifth grader Cassidy Gladden (268) winning individually.
Salem downed Mull in a BCPS qualifying tournament on Jan. 17, led by Tigers fifth grader Cherish Whitley’s score of 232. Salem then also defeated Hillcrest, Mountain View, and Forest Hill in a separate BCPS qualifying tournament held Jan. 23, led by Tigers fifth grader Zachary Meeks (236).
At the 2025 Western Burke County Elementary Bullseye event on Jan. 24, Glen Alpine topped W.A. Young and Oak Hill, paced by fifth grader Anna Shininger (226).
At the 2025 Eastern Burke Elementary Tournament the same day, Icard defeated Ray Childers and Hildebran for the team title as fifth grader Hunter Huffman won with a 257.
And the county’s other three elementary schools — Drexel, Valdese, and George Hildebrand — vied for the 2025 BCPS State Qualifier Bullseye 10/15M Event title the same day. Drexel won as Wolverine teammates Nathan Swearingen and Eli Warr tied for the individual title at 267.
And finally at the 2025 First in Flight Tournament in Newton from Jan. 23-25, Drexel and EBMS won team titles with Bell (294) and Garris (291) claiming titles alongside Swearingen and Warr (269), who tied again individually atop the elementary division.
The next stop for qualifiers is the 2025 North Carolina State NASP Bullseye Tournament in Winston-Salem on Feb. 14-15.
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