Bulldog archers earn strong finishes at Taneyville Classic State Qualifier

The Gainesville Bulldog archery teams delivered an impressive showing at the Taneyville Classic State Qualifier held Feb. 28, with numerous athletes recording personal best scores and all three team divisions earning second-place finishes, Coach Gary Emrick said.

In the elementary division, several young archers turned in strong performances. Trail Acklin led the group with a score of 180 and three 10s, marking a personal best. Kobi Adams followed with a personal-best score of 166, while Lucas Summers and Ford Cato each shot 157, also achieving personal bests.

The middle school team was highlighted by Asher Cato, who scored 266 with eight 10s. Cato placed third among middle school boys and second among seventh-grade boys. Hunter Smart shot a personal-best 254 with eight 10s, while Elizabeth Martin posted a personal-best 240 with six 10s, earning second place among seventh-grade girls. Greyson Dabney recorded a personal-best 239, and Chaseton Snell shot a personal-best 237 with five 10s.

In the high school division, Rhett Lawson led the team with an outstanding score of 282, including 16 10s. Lawson’s performance was a personal best and earned him first place among 11th-grade boys. Jasper James finished with a score of 270 and 10 10s. Victoria James scored 253 with six 10s and placed second among 12th-grade girls, while Nevaeh Smart shot a personal-best 246 with six 10s.

As a team, the Bulldogs finished second in the high school, junior high and elementary divisions.

Following the strong showing at Taneyville, four Bulldog archers (Rhett Lawson, Victoria James, Elizabeth Martin and Asher Cato) will continue preparing for the upcoming state tournament, to be held March 18-21 in Branson. 

Emrick says the results reflect the dedication and steady improvement of the team throughout the season, as well as the sportsmanship and hard work that continue to strengthen the program.