Locals named state archery champions: Competitors attempting to win national titles
Published 6:00 am Saturday, July 30, 2016
- COURTESY PHOTO Bowling Green archers Meredith Rogers (left) and Matthew Bienvenu are shown with their state title award and their bows. They and two other Bowling Green archers along with a Franklinton resident captured state titles. Both won the Mississippi state titles.
Four members of Bowling Green’s archery team and a local man were on target in their quest for a state championship.
Kevin McMillan, Meredith Rogers, Austin Forbes, Matthew Bienvenu, who all go to Bowling Green, along with Franklinton resident Jeremiah Oalmann, captured Archery State Titles in various divisions.
The divisions are determined by grade, age and the type of equipment used.
Points are earned by where archers hit on the various targets. In the state championships, participants shoot at 25 targets and have one minute to take each shot.
McMillan, who is No. 11 nationally and is going into the fifth grade at Bowling Green, is a dual champion. He captured the Louisiana and Mississippi state championships in the Elementary School Division. His division goes from third through fifth grade.
Rogers is the middle school division state champion for Mississippi. The middle school division ranges from sixth to eighth grade.
Forbes, No. 10 nationally, is the Louisiana State Title holder for the Middle School Division.
Bienvenu, 28th nationally, is the Mississippi State Champion for Middle School.
Rogers, Forbes and Bienvenu are all going into the seventh grade.
The began to form recreationally in December and became a team as part of Bowling Green in February.
The group has competed in about 10 local tournaments and seven national competitions, including the state and national championships.
“There are really no words,” Bowling Green coach Leslie Rogers said. “They’ve made the impossible possible. The thing with archery is that it’s a lot about form. Some of it’s about the bow, but most of it’s about form and you’ve got to be able to take feedback.
“It’s taken hard work and resilience and perseverance. They’ve shown patience and communication under pressure. They’ve had to learn how to keep their cool in adverse situations under extraordinary circumstances.”
Oalmann, who is a Franklinton resident, won the Mississippi State Title in the Men’s Open Bow C Division.
Next up is a national competition called The Classic. It takes place in Fort Mitchell, Ala., from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7.
Oalmann along with all of the Bowling Green state champions and possibly other team members are going.
To qualify, they had to join the Archery Shooters Association and compete in their pro-am.
