Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) hosted its 2018 Middle School Archery Tournament on Nov. 30 at Milton M. Somers Middle School. Archers from the county’s eight public middle schools participated, divided by grade level into boy and girl teams.
Luis Sousa, a sixth grader at Matthew Henson Middle School, said he is pretty good at traditional sports, so when he learned about archery, “It was something I was interested in,” he said. Sousa said he likes how archery uses a different set of skills than other athletic activities he is familiar with. “You can’t just go out and hit a bull’s eye,” Sousa said. “You have to take some time and actually practice.”
“It’s fun, but it’s like a challenge,” Adam Bowling, a Piccowaxen Middle School sixth grader, said. Cliff Scott remembered competing in the archery contest at Somers when he was in middle school. Now he is watching his son, A.J., a Henson sixth grader compete with his old bow. “It teaches sportsmanship,” Scott said. “It’s a mental exercise.”
Other benefits to learning the sport is increased hand-eye coordination, Gracie Butler, a General Smallwood Middle School seventh grader, said. Archery teaches its practitioners to be precise and accurate, said Somers’ physical education teacher, Melissa Williams. “It’s a lifetime activity,” she said.
Overall boy and girl winners were chosen at each grade level. They are:
- Raynna Ratchford, sixth grade, Davis, 111 points;
- Adam Bowling, sixth grade, Piccowaxen, 166 points;
- Lauren Kelly, seventh grade, Somers, 156 points;
- Stuart Mackie-Smith, seventh grade, Somers, 138 points;
- Mia Clark, eighth grade, Somers, 127 points; and
- Brandon Paschal, eighth grade, Somers, 125 points.
Team winners also are chosen at each grade level. The following teams earned first, second or third place:
Sixth-grade girls:
- Theodore G. Davis, first place, 207 points;
- Piccowaxen, second place, 191 points; and
- Somers, third place, 178 points.
Sixth-grade boys:
- Piccowaxen, first place, 325 points;
- Somers, second place, 223 points; and
- Mattawoman, third place, 208 points.
Seventh-grade girls:
- Somers, first place, 291 points;
- Matthew Henson, second grade, 144 points; and
- Davis, third place, 141 points.
Seventh-grade boys:
- Somers, first place, 224 points;
- Smallwood, second place, 143 points; and
- Davis, third place, 126 points.
Eighth-grade girls:
- Mattawoman, first place, 200 points;
- Somers, second place, 174 points; and
- Davis, third place, 150 points.
Eighth-grade boys:
- Piccowaxen, first place, 232 points;
- Davis, second place, 217 points; and
- Somers, third place, 191 points.
Overall team totals:
- Somers, 1,281 points;
- Piccowaxen, 1,116 points;
- Davis, 946 points;
- Henson, 859 points;
- Mattawoman, 793 points; and
- Smallwood, 544 points.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,108 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
