SCSD Senior Kaylee Landry finishes Top Archer in PA N.A.S.P. Championship
JOBY FAWCETT
Publication Date: March 24, 2019
Kaylee Landry pulls back on the string, takes aim and fires.
With her precision, she earned a National Archery in Schools Program state championship and a trip to her first regional competition.
A senior at Susquehanna, Landry turned in a steady effort at the Pennsylvania State Tournament in State College to land the gold medal. She posted a score of 296 with 26 of 30 shots in the center ring to finish first in the High School Girls Division and the overall competition.
“It definitely helped that I had been there the year before,” said Landry, who finished 18th as a junior. “I knew how many archers there were going to be, I was familiar with the venue. I trained almost like a track athlete because I have a background in track. In the weeks leading up to the event, I worked on my consistency in practice and as it got closer and closer, I even practiced a couple of times a day.
“Then, I backed off and rested and depended on muscle memory. I completely shut my brain off and let my body do what I trained it to do.”
At Susquehanna, students are introduced to archery as part of the physical education curriculum as early as elementary school.
In ninth grade, the school sponsored a club and Landry, who also participated in volleyball and track at Susquehanna, committed to the sport.
“It was always something I was naturally pretty good at,” Landry said. “When I was young, I never thought I would do it competitively or have my own equipment. But when I started competing, I found out I could have some success with it and I have been dedicated to it ever since.”
In 2018, Landry scored a 278 at the state championship event and finished 18th out of 153 high school girl archers and was fourth among 38 juniors.
This season, under the guidance of first-year coach John Ord, and with increased repetitions in practice, she has risen through the ranks.
Landry finished first among 22 high school girl archers at the fifth annual Cardinal Clash of Middle School Archers, which served as a state qualifier.
She also had a 276 at the Tunkhannock Area State Qualifier to finish sixth, then placed third at the Trojan Archery Tournament with a 285 and third at the Shoot for a Cure with a 286.
“Archery is a very personal and intimate sport and in a few shorts months Kaylee has embraced that and made it her own and that shows with every shot,” Ord said.
“We coined the phrase ‘Nothing but 10s’ at the start of the season. I remember Kaylee saying that was kind of setting the bar high and I replied you should expect nothing less. She had a habit of saying ‘I would be happy if I got such and such score at competition.’ That was the limited mental block I had to get her to overcome. Once she realized I was serious she just opened her mind up and let her natural talent fly.”
Landry landed her state title with a 296 to finish first among 198 high school girls and first among the 426 archers overall. It earned her a trip to the Eastern Regional competition (May 9 in Kentucky.
Montrose’s Madilynn Rhinevault, a seventh grader, finished second with a 295 and 25 10s. She also finished first among 159 middle school archers and was first among the 60 seventh graders.
“The number-one thing that made a world of difference is my coach,” Landry said. “He has a lot of experience in shooting sports. His personality fits. He’s critical but in a way that builds confidence and he really hones your skills. He brought out the best in me.
“I really learned how to forgive myself. Not every shot is going to be perfect. Not every round will be perfect. I am a perfectionist, so I had to learn to be patient. Frustration can really hurt you, so you need a lot of self control. My coach really helped me through that.”
Once Landry landed a spot in the Eastern Regional competition, funding the trip became a roadblock.
Through a GoFundMe initiative on Facebook and sponsorships, the 18-year-old was able to raise more than $2,000 to cover expenses.
“It is so overwhelming,” Landry said. “I am amazed at how the community has supported me. That is such a huge burden off my shoulders.
“We get to enjoy the experience. I have sent out so many thank yous and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
If Landry is successful at the Eastern Nationals, she can qualify for the NASP Championship in Nashville, Tennessee in July.
“I am going to keep practicing,” Landry said. “You can always be better. I would really like to do well at Eastern Nationals. That is the goal. To do as well as I can and hopefully I am competitive against all of these great archers in the eastern half of the state and beyond.”
Contact the writer: (jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; (570-348-9125; (@sportsTT on Twitter
Publication Date: March 24, 2019
Kaylee Landry pulls back on the string, takes aim and fires.
With her precision, she earned a National Archery in Schools Program state championship and a trip to her first regional competition.
A senior at Susquehanna, Landry turned in a steady effort at the Pennsylvania State Tournament in State College to land the gold medal. She posted a score of 296 with 26 of 30 shots in the center ring to finish first in the High School Girls Division and the overall competition.
“It definitely helped that I had been there the year before,” said Landry, who finished 18th as a junior. “I knew how many archers there were going to be, I was familiar with the venue. I trained almost like a track athlete because I have a background in track. In the weeks leading up to the event, I worked on my consistency in practice and as it got closer and closer, I even practiced a couple of times a day.
“Then, I backed off and rested and depended on muscle memory. I completely shut my brain off and let my body do what I trained it to do.”
At Susquehanna, students are introduced to archery as part of the physical education curriculum as early as elementary school.
In ninth grade, the school sponsored a club and Landry, who also participated in volleyball and track at Susquehanna, committed to the sport.
“It was always something I was naturally pretty good at,” Landry said. “When I was young, I never thought I would do it competitively or have my own equipment. But when I started competing, I found out I could have some success with it and I have been dedicated to it ever since.”
In 2018, Landry scored a 278 at the state championship event and finished 18th out of 153 high school girl archers and was fourth among 38 juniors.
This season, under the guidance of first-year coach John Ord, and with increased repetitions in practice, she has risen through the ranks.
Landry finished first among 22 high school girl archers at the fifth annual Cardinal Clash of Middle School Archers, which served as a state qualifier.
She also had a 276 at the Tunkhannock Area State Qualifier to finish sixth, then placed third at the Trojan Archery Tournament with a 285 and third at the Shoot for a Cure with a 286.
“Archery is a very personal and intimate sport and in a few shorts months Kaylee has embraced that and made it her own and that shows with every shot,” Ord said.
“We coined the phrase ‘Nothing but 10s’ at the start of the season. I remember Kaylee saying that was kind of setting the bar high and I replied you should expect nothing less. She had a habit of saying ‘I would be happy if I got such and such score at competition.’ That was the limited mental block I had to get her to overcome. Once she realized I was serious she just opened her mind up and let her natural talent fly.”
Landry landed her state title with a 296 to finish first among 198 high school girls and first among the 426 archers overall. It earned her a trip to the Eastern Regional competition (May 9 in Kentucky.
Montrose’s Madilynn Rhinevault, a seventh grader, finished second with a 295 and 25 10s. She also finished first among 159 middle school archers and was first among the 60 seventh graders.
“The number-one thing that made a world of difference is my coach,” Landry said. “He has a lot of experience in shooting sports. His personality fits. He’s critical but in a way that builds confidence and he really hones your skills. He brought out the best in me.
“I really learned how to forgive myself. Not every shot is going to be perfect. Not every round will be perfect. I am a perfectionist, so I had to learn to be patient. Frustration can really hurt you, so you need a lot of self control. My coach really helped me through that.”
Once Landry landed a spot in the Eastern Regional competition, funding the trip became a roadblock.
Through a GoFundMe initiative on Facebook and sponsorships, the 18-year-old was able to raise more than $2,000 to cover expenses.
“It is so overwhelming,” Landry said. “I am amazed at how the community has supported me. That is such a huge burden off my shoulders.
“We get to enjoy the experience. I have sent out so many thank yous and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
If Landry is successful at the Eastern Nationals, she can qualify for the NASP Championship in Nashville, Tennessee in July.
“I am going to keep practicing,” Landry said. “You can always be better. I would really like to do well at Eastern Nationals. That is the goal. To do as well as I can and hopefully I am competitive against all of these great archers in the eastern half of the state and beyond.”
Contact the writer: (jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; (570-348-9125; (@sportsTT on Twitter