Since her elementary school days at East Lincoln, Ashley Scott has dominated at archery, winning multiple state and national titles. Earlier this month, she added another title to her collection by winning the national championship in the Young Adult Barebow division at the Scholastic 3-D Archery National Finals held in Las Vegas.
“Knowing that I am able to add another national title to my résumé makes me want to keep pursuing this dream of mine,” Scott said. “It is also a really good confidence booster for my upcoming tournaments that I’m excited to compete in.”
In Las Vegas, Scott competed in the Young Adult Barebow division. During her performance, Scott totaled 253 out of a possible 300 points, hitting two Xs during her outing. While she had nerves heading into the tournament, Scott said she was able to holster those emotions during her competition. For her winnings, Scott received a plaque, and 12 scholarship offers from universities around the country, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
“With this being my first time at this tournament, I felt really out of place, but once I got that first shot off, everything became muscle memory. I wasn’t having to overthink what I was doing, and I was focusing more on having fun rather than shooting well,” Scott said. “I think I did really well out there, but because I am so hard on myself, there’s always the thought that I could’ve done better. I scored 12 points higher than in practice, which I was happy about.”
At her events, Scott competes as a member of the Taylor’s Archery team. According to her head coach Josh Harris, who also teaches at West Middle School, Scott’s success stems from her continuous drive to improve. He also credited Scott’s family for giving her an excellent foundation to help her improve.
“Ashley’s success in archery is a product of her hard work, effort, and personal discipline, as well as the support system her parents provide,” Harris said. “I’m truly blessed as her coach to get to tag along for the ride. There is no doubt that her future will be bright.”
Following Scott’s success in Las Vegas, her high school principal added his congratulations as he was elated for the junior archer.
“Ashley has proven to be committed to the sport of archery for many years, and all of her hard work is paying off,” said THS Principal Jason Quick. “Her passion for chasing excellence with her bow has made her a champion again. THS could not be more proud of her.”
Scott won’t have to wait long for her next tournament, as she will compete in the S3DA Eastern Indoor National Tournament early next month. That tournament will occur at the Owensboro Convention Center in Kentucky on March 2-5.
“I’m excited to compete because of how well I’ve been shooting lately,” Scott said. “I think it will go extremely well.”
When she’s not competing in a tournament, Scott still spends plenty of time around the sport. She serves as an assistant coach for the College Street Elementary School archery team in Manchester.
“The thing that I enjoy the most is seeing the kid’s faces when everything clicks,” Scott said. “They might be struggling with something, and their faces light up when they realize how to do it correctly. That feeling is wonderful, and it lets me know that I really am helping them. Seeing those kids get excited about a sport that I’ve been doing since their age makes me wonder if there are students who will follow in my footsteps.”
