Youth archers find success at local, national competitions

Members of the Koteewi Range “Wolfpack” archery team proudly display their vast collection of awards and accolades won at national and local competitions. Standing in the back row are assistant coach Mandy Boggs (left) and Tony Girt (right), the program’s founder and head coach. (Photo provided)

When Tony Girt decided to form an archery team for youth five years ago, he had no idea how quickly the team would become competitive at both the local and national level.

In fact, the current team – appropriately named “The Wolfpack” comprised of only eight young men and women, won a combined total of four Indoor State Championships, three Outdoor State Championships, finished in the top three in more than 20 regional Indoor and Outdoor tournaments, and earned four Outdoor state records, as well as placed in the top five finishes in three national tournaments.

The team of young archers, aged 12 through 17, came from as far away as Avon and even Lafayette to participate on the team. Members of “The Wolfpack” competed in every available youth class, including Traditional, Olympic Recurve, Bow Hunter, and Open Class.

Girt, who operates Koteewi Range, the indoor/outdoor archery facility at Strawtown Koteewi Park, provides professional archery instruction as a life skill, evidenced in the fact that more than 50 of his team members have continued to compete through high school. Remarkably, the honed archery skills of some of his youthful competitors have earned them full scholarships to colleges throughout the Midwest and the South.

Parents of any youth, age 8 through 18, regardless of their archery skill level, interested in learning more about this highly successful archery program or having their daughters or sons join the team for the 2022 season are encouraged to contact Girt at koteewiarchery@gmail.com.

Anyone wishing to know more about Koteewi Range and the archery services, including birthday celebrations and group outings, equipment, and educational programming the professional staff offers year-round can visit koteewiarchery.com, call (317) 776-8472 or contact Tony Girt at the email address listed above.