AUSTIN, Texas — This month, Highland Park Elementary School student athletes made Austin sports history, winning multiple national archery championships.
"Last year was the first time we won nationals," Highland Park Principal Katie Peña said. "This year, we won two national championships, both in bullseye and in the 3D competition."
The fifth graders at Highland Park were not the only local children who brought home big trophies at the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) National Championship. Lamar Middle School earned the top prize, as well.
"I'm super, super proud" Head Coach Jim DeLine said. "Especially of our eight graders, who went last year and finished fourth, and they went last year with high expectations. They could have quit this year, they could have said, 'You know, this is not going to work.' But they doubled-down on their work ethic, they doubled-down on their commitment, they doubled-down on everything that they were going to do and they set a goal that they would go back and redeem themselves."
"You just put so much of yourself into archery" Lamar Middle School archer Penelope Conner said. "When you do win, it's amazing!"
This quest to the top started in 2016 when Coach DeLine attended a professional development conference in search of new ideas to introduce to his physical education classes.
DeLine said when he "was able to go to that certification clinic and actually shoot bows and arrows," he realized "just how fun it was, how empowering it was, how challenging it was, it was something that I felt like our community and our kids could benefit from."
"It speaks to a level of inclusion, a level of diversity and a level of athleticism that other sports don't," he said.
"Maybe lifting's not your thing, running's not your thing, exercise really ain't your thing," Lamar Middle School archer Veer Matai said. "This sport will mold to you."
It's a sport that has provided more than championships to dozens of Austin ISD children: it has also provided life lessons.
"It's taught me that even if you aren't in charge, you still have a voice," Conner said.
"It's taught me how to be humble," Matai said.
"Through their hard work and effort in archery, they're seeing growth in their archery performance," Lamar Middle School Principal Travis Brunner said. "That really translates across the board – 'If I work hard in my math class, my history class, my dance class, I'm going to see growth there as well.'"
Archers from Kealing Middle School, Ann Richards School for Young Women, McCallum High School, the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) and Magellan International School also qualified to compete and travel to Salt Lake, Utah, for the National Championship.