Knights qualify for national archery tourney

Sirens screaming through Fountain City announced what many in town already knew: Northeastern’s archery teams had qualified for the national tournament. Again.

One team from Northeastern High School and one from Northeastern Middle School will be shooting in the US Eastern National Tournament of the National Archery in the Schools Program on May 9-11 in Louisville.

When they got back from qualifying at the state tournament in Indianapolis on March 9, the teams got a traditional hero’s welcome, parading through Fountain City with fire truck sirens wailing and horns blaring.

This time, coach Brian Richmond sported a new haircut: kelly green on the sides and bright yellow on the top and back, freshly dyed to Northeastern’s school colors just days before the shoot.

Richmond announced the results on Facebook. The high school Knights scored its second best of the season, scoring 3,232 points with 1,140 coming on 10-point bullseyes. They ranked 18th of 28 participating teams.

The middle school team shot its best of the year, scoring 3,091 and ranking 20th of 40 teams.

Annie Hickel, a ninth grader, shot her personal best, a 281 out of 300 possible points to lead the high school team, ranking her 28th out of 330 high school girl archers. Thirteen of her 30 arrows smacked into the yellow bullseye ring.

Two points behind her at 279 was ninth grader Cheyenne Booker, hitting 15 bullseyes and ranking 29th among female shooters.

Also scoring for the high school team were Hayden Upton, 277 (12 bullseyes); Emma Gentry, 274 (10); Dakota Booker and Haylee Brown, both 271 (9); Brianna Shaw, 266 (9); Joseph Bennet, 266 (6); Aerriana Johnson, 264 (7); Aiden Leddington, 263 (10); Ayden Alcorn, 261 (7); Bailey Berhalter, 259 (7); Blake Hampton, 257 (9); Noah Willett, 257 (7) Breanna Day, 257 (6); Leeann Wadsworth, 256 (9); Samantha Whallon, 254 (6); Samara Carr, 241 (5); Alivia Bleil, 235 (2); Austin Robles, 233 (5); Alicen Cassel, 227 (6) and Kaci Schepman, 225 (1).

Seventh grader Addison Schubert led Northeastern Middle, shooting 273 points, including 11 bullseyes and ranking 31st of 443 female middle school shooters. Regan Haynes followed two points behind her at 271, including eight bullseyes and ranking 45 of 443 girls.

Also scoring for NMS were Rylee Chamness, 266 (7); Whitney Burkhart, 262 (7); Kevin Muckridge, 259 (10); Kaylee Perry, 259 (6); Cooper Gardner, 256 (8); Becca Doerflein, 253 (6); Briar Van Hoorebeke, 250 (5); Hunter Thomas, 249 (3); Hayden Goble, 247 (6); Makenna Burnette, 246 (5); Deacon Russell, 243 (4); Easton Koch, 241 (6); Davis Spurlock, 240 (5); Spencer Smith, 240 (4); Bryson Henemyre, 231 (5); Karlee Delucio, 230 (6); Devin Burnette, 230 (6); Faithlynn Musselman, 225 (2); Dalton Houser, 214 (4); Caleb Byrum, 206 (1); Bryson Koch, 205 (1); and Isabella Peed, 198 (6).

Both teams will compete in the US Eastern Nationals at Louisville on May 9. The US Western Nationals will be April 26-27 in Sandy, Utah. From the nationals, teams qualify for the 2025 championship tournament on June 6-8 in Daytona, Florida.

This is the third year Northeastern has qualified teams for the nationals. In 2023, the high school team qualified for the Championship Tournament but was unable to participate.