For a club not well known on campus, Northern Arizona University’s archery club is making a name for itself.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, NAU sophomore Paeton Keller represented the United States at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. A mechanical engineering student, Keller competed individually in the compound archer division of the games, as well as with the U.S. compound team.
In addition to Keller’s success in South Korea, some 7,500 miles away, NAU’s archery club recently captured the national title at the 2015 United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships held in Newberry, Fla.
The NAU archers won a total of seven medals at the intercollegiate championships, in both individual and team divisions. Some of the divisions in which NAU placed include recurve men’s team, compound men’s team, bow
hunter mixed team and women’s bow hunter.
Established in 2010, NAU’s student-based archery club was created to develop beginner and elite archers in the sport of target archery, providing opportunities for students to compete in local, state and national collegiate archery tournaments.
Originally made famous because of its importance in combat and hunting, the bow and arrow lost relevance with the widespread and efficient use of firearms. Thanks to prevalent series like The Hunger Games, the bow and arrow is once again gaining in popularity, now being used as a competitive sport and recreational activity.
“It’s something everyone should try at least once,” said Drew Ned, archery club advisor and head coach. “I guarantee, once you do, you won’t be able to put the bow down.”
Information about the club can be found online.