Have you ever wanted to get involved in club sports on campus? Have you ever wanted to channel your inner Katniss Everdeen? If you answered yes to either question, then the archery club may be for you.
The Brandeis Archery Club is led by president Krishna Narayanan ‘17, who has been shooting since his freshman year at Brandeis and couldn’t be more in love with the sport. The head coach, E.G. LeBre, is a USAA Level 4 coach who teaches everyone from people who have never shot an arrow before to the most experienced shooters. The team competes in the U.S. Collegiate Archery (USCA) and in the United States Archery Association (USAA), both indoors and outdoors.
The club also hosts their own archery tournament called the Shamrock Shoot, which has taken place every St. Patrick’s Day since 2013. This tournament is a chance to beat the harsh winter weather and shoot the outdoor distance indoors. Historically, Brandeis students rank in the top three places in all events at the Shamrock Shoot, which also gives shooters who cannot compete in all tournaments a chance to test their skills against some of the best shooters in New England.
The team competes in five major tournaments throughout the year, primarily in the spring semester: Indoor Nationals, Shamrock Shoot, Adam Wheatcroft Memorial, USAA Eastern Regional Collegiate Championship and the USAA National Outdoor Collegiate Championship. In the previous seasons, multiple individuals medaled and two members came out especially strong, earning gold in the men’s recurve at the Adam Wheatcroft Memorial Tournament at James Madison University. A member of the team also earned bronze at the Eastern Regional Archery Championships at UCONN.
Their schedule is not yet set for this school year, but the Brandeis Archery encourages all newcomers to try the sport and make some new friends in the process. All levels are welcome to come to practices held in the Gosman Multipurpose Room on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-10 p.m. and Sundays from 4-8 p.m. Interested participants can also sign up for the team’s listserv on the Brandeis Athletics website.
