Taking aim at a new season

Aaron Viner

Sports editor

After a landmark year, the Washington archery team will look to continue building this winter.

As the archery program enters its fourth season, the team hopes to reap the rewards of having its seniors go through the high school archery program for all four years.

?We have the majority of our kids coming back who went to nationals (last season),? Washington archery coach Joleen Cerka said. ?That experience ? and having kids in the program now for four years ? it will be nice to see kids have gone through the entire program since it?s started. To see where we can be at the end will be exciting.?

The Demons had 18 archers travel to Louisville, Kentucky, in March, with the entire high school team qualifying, in addition to a couple of middle school and elementary competitors.

Seeing that kind of success has only helped encourage students who were on the fence about going out for the team.

?When we have it in PE classes, kids can see that they can do this,? Cerka said. ?Then they see that these kids went to Louisville, Kentucky, and that?s something they would like to do. That plays a role for some of the middle school and high school kids who might think about coming out.?

One of the returners for the Demons, senior Joseph Dalziel, made his mark at nationals last season, posting his career-best score of 279 which was good for 93rd nationally among high school junior boys.

As a senior, he has been looking to improve his skills for this season.

?I?ve been focusing a lot more on pinpointing where I?m shooting,? Dalziel said. ?I?ve been going back to the basic drills and making sure I?m keeping things the same each time. I need to build a solid foundation to increase my skills ever so slightly. That little bit can make you much better.?

Another senior on the Demon archery team, Jade Wells (who placed 10th among Iowa competitors at nationals and 83rd among high school junior girls), will be looking to repeat the fun of advancing to state, and has learned a lot in her four years in the program.

?It was a lot of fun, but not only did my team go, but my little brother, Olin, went as well,? Wells said. ?I?d like to get back. Definitely, there is talk (about getting back to nationals). I?ve learned that you have to have a lot of patience. You can?t focus on the bad arrows. You have to focus on the good arrows.?

Wells noted that she is hoping to boost her career high of 286 this season, and is looking to the 290s as a personal goal.

When it comes to the team goals, both seniors are going to do everything in their power to make sure they get back to nationals.

?I?m pretty sure we are set on going back to state and nationals this year,? Dalziel said. ?Maybe we?ll even look at world at the end of the season. We want to see really high scores. The top 12 people need to be shooting really well and we need to keep that score up to get to the next stage.?

The Demons will be opening their season on Saturday with a shoot hosted by Center Point-Urbana at Hawkeye Downs. The first home shoot for the Demons will be on Jan. 16.