Barnsley Archery Club hosted the National Tour Stage 3 for 2022, with great results and some first-time stage winners!
National Tour Stage 3 is done and dusted, with new stage winners and updated National Tour standings for 2022. Saturday had a changeable win throughout the day, with rain towards the end of the medal matches.
We caught up with some of the winners from the weekend.
"It felt great, especially as I'd only qualified in 7th. It was a huge field of recurve men and looking at the last 8 on the line, you couldn't really have predicted the winner as there were some really tight matches."
"I couldn't ask for much more to be honest. This is my first time competing in the full National Tour, I've completed 3 stages and had a podium finish each time."
"This is only my third visit to Barnsley and I've shot on a different field each time. Everyone is so welcoming. Saturday had its challenges as the wind kept changing direction, and then of course it rained during the head to head matches."
"I have a couple more National Tour stages to do and I want to enjoy the experience. My focus is still on the transition from Junior to Senior and ensuring my performance continues to improve. It would be great to be invited to the Finals, but I know there's more work to do."
"It felt great to win my first National Tour stage as I have been working hard on my mental game. To see my progress and to reap the rewards spurs me on to keep going with it. I had lots of fun."
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the two out of three National Tour stages I have competed in (Bucks and Barnsley). I've been fortunate enough to have podium success in both. To have Barebows included and welcomed is fantastic and I definitely get the sense that all the Barebows are enjoying themselves."
Barnsley National Tour was well-organised, thanks to everybody involved. Thankfully, the weather was mostly kind compared to the wet and windy season a lot of us have experienced so far! It's not always grim up north!"
"My goals are to continue working on my mental game and enjoy my season after a difficult one last year. It would be great to make the National Tour Finals. I'll try my best, but there is some great competition out there in the ladies' barebow category and I will be cheering on whoever gets there."
"It feels really good to win another stage, and it has helped me feel more secure in my shot and confident for the Paris World Cup this week."
"I've got a great feeling about this season. Although for me (and other archers in full-time education), the outdoor season is only just starting. I have only just started to be able to train full-time and compete to my best! That said, my National Tour Stage 3 win came on the back of winning Individual and Team gold for the University of Nottingham at BUCS last weekend. And just before the start of my first-year uni exams. I also won Individual GBR gold and Mixed Team bronze (with Conor Hall) at the World Ranking event, Veronica's Cup, in Slovenia. So I'm feeling strong and ready to see what the rest of the season will bring."
"This was my first trip to Barnsley as unfortunately last year clashed with the World Youth Championships in Poland, 2020 was Covid and 2019 clashed with the World Youth Championships in Madrid. To be honest, every UK tournament is an opportunity to catch up with friends and this weekend was no exception. It was particularly good to see so many archers shooting really big scores. The field was interesting with the bank splitting up the compounds and recurves. It was a little bit windy, but there was a stand and a bank to block most of it. So overall, it was a really good field to shoot on."
"I topped the qualification putting almost 20 points on my competition PB with a WA70 663. This didn't happen overnight, as I've been working hard on my mental game and anyone else in a similar position will appreciate just how good this breakthrough feels! Obviously, I'd like to medal out at this season's internationals, including the Paris World Cup and (subject to selection) the European Youth Cup in Romania, and the European Youth Championships at Lilleshall in August. Along with the World Field Championships in the USA. But sometimes goals don't have to be tournament based, and for me, all I really want is to see how far my archery can take me this season, and keep my mental game strong and enjoy myself."
Full results can be found here.
Thank you to our incredible sponsors for the 2022 season!
