National Matchplay Series Finals and World Trials

Following close behind the Easton Australian Open, the Victor Harbor Archery Club hosted, on Sunday 3rd March the Finals of the National Matchplay Series. The Soldiers War Memorial Reserve again provided a wonderful backdrop for the event. Thankfully the weather improved with temperatures more fitting for an outdoor event, bringing out more people enjoying the surrounds and experiencing a rare chance to view our best archers performance.

The Matchplay Series had been run over the last twelve months with each State holding one ‘leg’ and with the years final points determined, the final group for the Matchplay Finals consisted of 4 archers in each of the Divisions making a total of 16 archers. Included in the Men’s Compound Division was Pat Coghlan of the Victor Harbor Archery Club and in the Men’s Recurve Division, David Barnes of the Adelaide Archery Club, the only two archers from South Australia – but what a pair - World Champion and Olympic medal winner respectively.

Competition was intense all round with many scores only a few points apart keeping the atmosphere exciting, coaches intensely eyeing their charges and supporters vocally encouraging their favourite archer. The archers themselves were well tuned to high-level competition and seemed unfazed by the pressure but no doubt, the ‘mind games’ were in overdrive.

Final results:

Men’s Recurve –

1. Ryan Tyack [Sunshine Coast Archery Club]

2. David Barnes [Adelaide Archery Club]

3. Alec Potts [Archers in Melbourne]

Women’s Recurve –

1. Alice Ingley [Mt Petrie Bowmen Inc.]

2. Sarah Haywood [Hobart Archers]

3. Laura Paeglis [Archers in Melbourne]

Men’s Compound –

1. Pat Coghlan [Victor Harbor Archery Club]

2. Matt McDougall [Mt Petrie Bowmen Inc.]

3. Danie Oosthuizen [Benara Bowmen Archery Club Inc.]

Women’s Compound –

1. Madeline Boyle [Penrith City Archers]

2. Jessica Sutton [Mt Petrie Bowmen Inc.]

3. Elizabeth Randle [Westlakes Archers Inc.]

WORLD TRIALS:

To complete the trifecta of archery events for this week in March, theWorld Target Trials were held at the VHAC grounds on the 5th and 6th March. The purpose of these trials is to aid in the selection of the best archers in Australia to represent the Nation in various World Archery Events. Different trials are held at various times with accumulation of points determining likely candidates.

World Trials do not carry the same amount of excitement as the Easton Open or Matchplay Finals but they are extremely important both for Australia and the archers competing. This was ‘crunch time’ where every point counted. Many of the archers had already competed in the Open and Matchplay Finals so extra stamina was needed and unwavering determination sustained.

The selection process to determine who will be chosen to represent Australia on the World Archery stage during the next twelve months has been completed and Archery Australia has just announced the successful archers and the events they will be competing in.

The World Championshipsbeing held in the Netherlands in June 2019 will see Pat Coghlan [Victor Harbor Archery Club], Andrew Kuchel [Great Southern Archers] and Danie Oosthuizen [Western Australia] battling it out in the Men’s Compound Division. David Barnes [Adelaide Archery Club] also made the cut to represent Australia in Men’s Recurve in World Cup 1 [Columbia] and World Cup 2 [Shanghai]. It is a great result for South Australia and the archers will no doubt be very happy with the result.

The Victor Harbor Archery Club can relax a little now with these three events completed successfully but come this time next year the Easton Australian Open and National Matchplay Series Finals will once again be held in Victor Harbor and the Trials to follow will be Olympic Trials in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.