(This article first appeared in the May print edition of the Hendersonian.)
The Henderson County Girls’ Archery team showcased their exceptional precision and determination with a strong showing at the KHSAA Archery State Tournament held April 17 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. Led by head coach Gaylan Haire, the Lady Cols finished in 7th place with a team score of 1940, including 97 ten-counts.
Harrison County finished 1st with a team score of 2008, securing its fifth consecutive state championship.
The best finish for Henderson County’s girls came in 2019 when they were the state runners-up to Pulaski County.
Being on the grand stage presents a level of pressure and expectations with which archers must deal to ensure that they deliver their best performance when it counts the most.
“At first, I felt nervous and a little sad considering that it was my final year,” said senior Alexis Weaver. “I was very confident that we were going to do great, and we did. We’re all sharing the same experience. You’ve done this so many times that [the nerves] go away eventually.”
Weaver, who has been participating in archery for eight years since her days at Bend Gate Elementary, shot three points shy of her personal best with a 282, qualifying her for 46th place, and 4th among Henderson County’s archers.
Rising freshman DixiAnne Nurrenbern was the top archer for the Lady Cols. Nearly matching her personal best of 288, Nurrenbern was able to muster a 287 against the top competition in the state which was good enough for 17th place overall.
“I felt good. I was definitely okay with getting a 287 at the state tournament, only being a freshman,” said Nurrenbern of her first KHSAA state performance. “I went against a lot of very competitive archers. I was very happy with my score.”
The archery state final consists of a format in which each team enters 12 archers. Each archer shoots three 10-meter scoring ends and three 15-meter scoring ends. The top seven scores are then compiled to determine the winner, while each individual archer’s score also contributes to their individual finish. Ties are broken based on the number of ten-counts each archer achieves, or the number of times they hit the 10-point scoring ring in their round.
Henderson County’s journey to the state tournament also included a stop at Trigg County on March 22 for the Region 1 Tournament. The Lady Cols emerged as the Region 1 Champions with a team score of 1943, narrowly edging out their familiar foes from Webster County, who finished with a total of 1933.
Nurrenbern shot 288 to claim the title of Region 1 Female Champion. Also finishing in the top 20 were Haley Jo-Hovey (282), Abeygail Beckner (280), Weaver (278) and Aurora Tomas (274).
“It’s one of my favorite medals. When I shoot against the archers from Webster County, I know I have to like be on my game and cannot afford to make a mistake,” said Nurrenbern.
The future looks bright for the Lady Cols who will graduate only three seniors from this year’s squad: Abeygail Beckner, Elizabeth Scott and Weaver.
Marley Nurrenbern, mother of Dixianne and secretary of the Henderson Archery Club, is excited for the success and growth that archery can attain in the coming years.
“We just want it to be pushed out more and we want more people to join. It’s a largely growing sport. We’re very thankful for the high school. Mrs. Thomas [HCHS Principal] has been very supportive in making sure that they get recognized and archery is put out there.”
The younger Nurrenbern added, “This is a sport that anyone can do. You don’t have to be the fastest or the smartest. You can be yourself.”
KHSAA hosts only region and state tournaments for archery. To stay sharp and hone their skills, Henderson’s archers also compete in tournaments through the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP). These took place between January and April this year. NASP also hosts its own state and national tournaments, culminating with the NASP Championship in June. The Cols finished 31st at the NASP State Tournament in March.
Fans of HCHS archery or those curious about the sport will have a prime opportunity to witness the best the Colonels have to offer next year when Henderson will host the 1st Region Championship at the Chase Fulcher Archery Center located at 377 Garden Mile Road.
KHSAA Girls State Archery Tournament Results
17th: DixiAnne Nurrenbern, 287
20th: Elizabeth Scott, 286
41st: Hayley-Jo Hovey, 283
46th: Alexis Weaver, 282
128th: Jazlyn Slayton, 273;
187th: Alyssa Woodard, 265
197th: Abeygail Beckner, 264
209th: Miley Powell, 262
213th: Aurora Tomas, 262
241st: Marley Staton, 257
242nd: Maleah Dixon, 256
261st: Natalee Stone, 252
