2011 USIAC
USIAC is the United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships. For 2011, college archery teams from all across the country gathered at James Madison University for the competition. The JMU team hosted the event and did an amazing job setting up the venue and making sure the tournament went smoothly.
The competition was four days and included a qualification, mixed team, team and Olympic rounds. The recurve archers shot at 70 meters while compound shot 50 meters. Other than some light rain, the weather and venue made for great shooting conditions.
Though archery is mostly an individual sport, college archery has a really neat team aspect to it. Teams show up in uniform, show their school pride with banners and school cheers, and some even have matching quivers! This team atmosphere is especially apparent during the team round as everyone gathers to support their school’s archers. Each arrow that lands in the gold is followed by an explosion of cheers and high-fives.
When you step onto the shooting line, it’s just you, your bow, and the target 70 meters away. And then you hear your friends calling out your name and screaming your school cheer, trying to be louder than your opponents. It really is a unique experience and one that I hope all archers will be a part of in some way, whether as an archer, spectator, or coach.
Learn more about collegiate archery at the USCA Website.