After a loud buzzer, silence descended on the Quesnel River Archers’ facility on Reid Street on Jan. 27-28 as archers from home and away competed in the organization’s annual Gold Pan tournament.
The event attracted almost 40 archers from the region ranging in age from just nine to adult, for a variety of competitions using compound, recurve and bare bows.
Each archer lined up and took their shots, appearing deep in concentration with their sights set on the target at the end of the room.
Archer Dale Chapplow officiated the event, making sure all competitors shot their bow within the alloted time and that they were shooting safely. Spectators and family sat in the window, silent so as not to break the archers’ focus.
Quesnel River Archer member and senior barebow competitor Lora-Lee Murray said the event was running smoothly and they were pleased with the turnout.
“I shot early in the day so that the people from out of town could get in and get set up without having to travel really early. I like to get in as early as I can [in the competition],” she commented.
One of Quesnel’s young archers, 16-year-old Bryson Watson, said it was his first time taking part in the Gold Pan event.
“It’s going well, I’m getting them all in the yellow so I’m doing pretty good,” he commented.
Watson is an experienced archer, having started when he was four years old.
He said he qualified in December to compete in the B.C. Winter Games in Kamloops at the end of February. Quesnel’s tournament provided him more practice time, competing against other local archers.
Although many of the categories had just one or two archers registered, all individual results are filed with Archery Canada.
Full results and scores
Pee Wee Compound – male
Eli Zipser, Quesnel – 674
Brogan Dunleavey, Quesnel – 399 (one-day result)
Pee Wee Barebow – female
Aisley Dunleavey, Quesnel – 50 (one-day result)
Pre Cup Barebow – female
Kayla Erickson, Quesnel – 566
Pre Cub Compound – female
Joelle Thurow – 1,070
Emerson Sanford – 957
Cub Recurve – female
McKayla Bolitho, Quesnel – 834
Cub Compound – male
Ty Waterhoushouse – 1,000
Brennan Daly, Quesnel – 742
Cadet Compound – female
Dawson Lewis – 1,026
Cadet Compound – male
Jayden Harders – 1,114
Bryson Watson, Quesnel – 1,110
Alex Berlinguette, Quesnel – 943
Cole Schalles – 407 (one-day result)
Cadet Barebow – female
Alison Dewling, Quesnel – 576
Cub Barebow – female
Taylor Parr, Quesnel – 374
Lidia Solecki, Quesnel – 257
Claudia Fitzner, Quesnel – 196 (one-day result)
Junior Recurve – female
Kelly Murray, Quesnel – 800
Junior Recurve – male
Dawson Williams – 993
Junior Compound – female
Tianna Johnson – 858
Junior Compound – male
Spencer Schowenbug – 1,155
Spencer Gamache, Quesnel – 1,110
Senior Barebow – female
Lora-Lee Murray, Quesnel – 846
Angelique Justason, Quesnel – 594
Senior Barebow – male
Fred Streleoff – 986
Senior Recurve – male
Scott Watson, Quesnel – 508 (one-day result)
Senior Compound – female
Tammi Solecki, Quesnel – 894
Danica Freel, Quesnel – 554 (one-day result)
Senior Compound – male
Mike Lewis – 1,102
Clint Gaspard – 570 (one-day result)
Mel Dunleavey, Quesnel – 545 (one-day result)
Senior Compound Unlimited – male
Bob Thurow – 1,065
Senior Compound Fixed Pins – male
Jason Daly, Quesnel – 1,034
Master Barebow – male
Stu Murray, Quesnel – 743
Master Compound – female
Diana Freel, Quesnel – 1,074
Master Compound Unlimited – male
Al Campsall – 1,123
Sandy Watson, Quesnel – 1,110