4-H Archery Team Competes in Perry

By LAUREN HICKS

Jasper County Junior 4-H’er

Seventeen members of the Jasper County 4-H archery team competed at the 10th annual State Indoor 4-H Archery Challenge recently at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. There were over 750 4-H’ers participating from all across Georgia.

The Cloverleaf (fifth and sixth graders) compound team was represented by Josephine Beasley, Evan Danes, Rebekah Hanson, Nolan McMichael, Eli Nelson, and Montana Puckett. The shooters on the Junior (seventh and eighth graders) compound team who competed included Taylor Boyd, Justin Lilly, Nina Matthews, Luke Nelson, Sammy Puckett, Jaxon Schell, Jake Tingler, and T.J. White. Emily Hanson, Abby Whittle, and Anna Whittle shot in the Senior (high school) compound division. They were accompanied by team coaches Susann Whittle, Scott Whittle, Gretchen Pruett, Jack Schell, and the 4-H’ers’ parents. Those who were unable to attend the competition because of sickness included 4-H’ers Ansley Atkinson and Lauren Hicks and team coaches (also the girls’ fathers) Greg Atkinson and Greg Hicks.

Anna Whittle placed eighth overall in the Senior compound girls division with her score of 287 along with having the best score in Jasper overall. Luke Nelson had the top Junior male compound score from Jasper with his score of 282, and he placed 14th overall in his division. Jaxon Schell placed 10th in the Junior girls compound division with her score of 249. Nolan McMichael placed 20th with his score of 272 in the Cloverleaf division.

The 4-H’ers are continuing to practice weekly as they prepare for the state tournament that will be held outdoors at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center on Saturday, April 28.

4-H is a unit of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Cooperative Extension that provides a forum for hands-on learning experiences and youth development opportunities for young people ages nine to 19