MC Archery Team Excels at Illinois Tournament

MC archery team

Hitting targets consistently with their bows and arrows, the Mississippi College archery team brought home several major awards at a recent national tournament.

The MC Choctaws received the silver medal in the men’s bowhunter team competition in Harrisburg, Illinois.

Mississippi College students Bradford Sauls of Norris City, Illinois and Parker Battista of Talmadge, Ohio picked up the All American Archer Award for 3D. Jessica Jasper of Flowood, who serves as team captain for the Blue & Gold, finished in the top 10 for the women’s bowhunter division.

Battista and Jasper also achieved 4^th place honors in the bowhunter mixed team event. A 22-year-old Ohio native, Battista placed third in the men’s bowhunter division.

Coach Waldo Cleland was elated with the team’s performance at the 3D U.S. Collegiate Archery Association tournament. Eleven college teams participated in the Land of Lincoln event October 15-16.

“This is the best team we’ve ever had,” Cleland said. “They work hard and work together. Each one of these archers is a joy to coach. But I really don’t have to – the talent is already there.”

Other schools competing with Mississippi College included the University of the Cumberlands of Kentucky, Liberty University of Virginia, William Carey University of Hattiesburg, the University of California, Irvine, and Bethel University of Tennessee.

MC archers are beginning their third season. The Christian university’s future talent pool is not very far from the Clinton campus. There are thousands of student archers showcasing their talents on teams at Mississippi high schools in metro Jackson and beyond.

Season three remains in the early stages for the MC student-athletes.

In late January, the MC squad is signed up for the USCA Indoor Regionals at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife archery range in Jackson.

Later in 2017, the top eight archers in each USA collegiate division will be eligible for the “Vegas Shoot” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The February 8-12 tournament is among the world’s biggest for indoor archery.

Last May, nine Mississippi College archers competed in the U.S. Outdoor Intercollegiate Archery National Championships in Chula Vista, California. MC finished in second place in the men’s bowhunter division at the venue near San Diego.