During the October Board meeting, Amanda Bowles was hired to lead the program as an archery coach. Assisting Bowles this season will be Cory Crecelius.

There are three different divisions in the archery program. Students in grades 4-5 are in the elementary division team, students in grades 6-8 are in the middle school division team, and students in grades 9-12 are in the high school division team. The team’s first tournament is on December 9 and will continue competitions through March. 

Bowles is a 2022 graduate from PHS, and while at PHS, she participated in archery for three years. Many students have welcomed Bowles with open arms and helped her in many ways. The older students have been a big help with first-time archers. Some of the leaders on the team are senior Adam Barnhart, sophomore Billy Apple, and eighth graders Caleb Bowles and Kyle Patton. These students have played archery for a while, helping Bowles become comfortable in the coaching position.

“My goal this season is to really grow the program, and show Paoli what our archery team is all about. I hope for our teams or even some individuals to qualify for the State Competition. Many people at PHS do not know what the archery team is, and it is my goal to make sure that our team is known and cheered on like any other team at PHS,” said Bowles.

The team will be doing a qualifier in mid-February to try to qualify for the state contest. They will continue traveling to tournaments if they do not qualify for State and host a few tournaments later in the season.