INDOOR ARCHERY RESTARTS:
With the schools now reopening, the indoor archery season now also begins. It was not a great summer for outdoor archery given the wet weather so most archers will be glad to see the indoor season start! Archery sessions begin this Wednesday 5th September with classes from from 3.30 to 8.30pm. Thursday 6th also sees another 6 sessions starting at 3.30pm and going on until 10.30pm …..so there is a time suitable fro all. Beginners are especially welcome and all equipment will be provided. Contact club coach Frank Mulligan on 028 406 23748 for details or club brochure.

WHEATLEY WINS CLOUT.
One of the archery events which did get a good day was the Clout competition at Boucher Road Belfast. Michael Wheatley won the Gents Compound class with the highest score of the day at the Northern Ireland Championships on the day. Ashley Russell-Cowan won the ladies barebow section and Valerie Sleith probably had the best shot of the day actually hitting the flag at 140yds! The clout competition is shooting at distances which vary from 180 yds for men to 140 yds for women right down to 50 yds for young cubs. Ballyvally would like to thank Maurice Eakin for the use of his field to practice for the clout championships.

SHANNON AND CLAIRE BREAK BRITISH RECORDS AT LOUGHBRICKLAND.
Ballyvally’s first “ Autumn “ tournament took place at the end of August and a National Animal round of 32 targets was shot on a good day. The shoting tower which had been erected for the Junior U.K Field championships the week before was still there and the seniors now had the unexpected pleasure of shooting from it! Traditional Archer Shannon Russell-Cowan shooting senior distances at the age of 12 shot anew British record of 150 while Claire Hillen broke the under 15 girls compound barebow record with 285.Also breaking N.I. Records were Brendan Byrne junior [Banbridge] with 610, Morgan Russell-Cowan [girls compound barebow] with 415 and Ewan Lynas [boys traditional ] with 275. Neil Gordon [Newtownards] scoring 410 broke the N.I. Record set by John McCrea in 1993! The shoot was a handicap competition where each archer had a target to reach over the whole day and 22 archers actually beat their handicaps on a tricky and long course set out by Alwyn Sneddon.Young Mark Hamilton was the unluckiest having a handicap of 310 and scoring 310 thus equally his target but unfortunately not beating it! Some excellent scores were shot particularly by the novice lady barebows. Marion Patterson [320] and Ann Heslip [320] shot very well in that class. In the minor class Vanessa Eakin [365] shot extremely well as did Polly Price [360] in the cub class.In the senior class, Rune Naeri [360] Philip Firtpatrick [450] and Gilbert McClelland [465] all had a good day. Ballyvally’s next outdoor shoot will be on Sunday 16th September at Castlewellan and Hunting trails will be shot using American 3”D” animals!

FIRST INDOOR AT CRAIGAVON LEISURE CENTRE.
Two of the top scores at the first indoor competition in Craigavon’s Leisure Centre were shot by juniors! Amy Lavery shooting a personal best of 550 won the junior classes but also beat all the ladies! Mark Nesbitt, fresh from winning his silver medal in the European Championships in Croatia, shot a magnificent 576 to beat all the men. Ciara Dunleavy shot an excellent 543 to win her class in girls compound unlimited. Ballyvally’s first Indoor Tournament will be on Sunday afternoon 23rd September.

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