The Lake County Leader talks with two-time state

archery champion and Charlo resident Aspen Runkel

How did you get started with archery?

Aspen: Our school is involved with a program called National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and when I was a fifth grader, I went to an archery tournament in Stevensville to watch my sister shoot.

They ended up being short one person so they convinced me to shoot that day with literally just a few minutes of practicing. Since then, I have been on the team for my sixth, seventh and eighth grade years.

What kind of bow do you use?

A:  Everyone in the program uses a Genesis bow, which is a compound bow without any sights. It can be adjusted to fit virtually everyone and covers all standard draw lengths.

Do you play any other sports?

A:  I’ve been in volleyball, basketball and track and field all through junior high along with archery. I’m going to continue with those this next year as a freshman, and hopefully, I will be able to participate in archery again this year if we can get a team figured out for a high school league.

What was the state competition like?

A: The state competition this year was pretty low key. It felt like a practice, just more official and with more importance on how well we did.

We shot alongside two other schools (Plains and Dixon) at the Plains gymnasium and then the scores were sent out to compare with the results from the other schools (Sheridan, Hellgate-Missoula, Jackson, Anaconda, Ennis and Reichle). There was some pressure to do well because of everyone watching, but mostly because the year before I had been the girls state archery champion also with a score of 276 out of 300 and I wanted to try and improve my score. Sadly, I came up short with a score of 272 but it was still very rewarding to have done well again.

What was your strategy for winning?

A: My strategy was to take my time and to focus on each and every arrow that I released. Coaches everywhere always tell you, “practice how you would play” so that’s exactly what I worked to do.

I have a process I go through every time I go to shoot an arrow to make sure my shooting is consistent. I focused on repeating that process over and over again so that I got the best score possible.

How much practicing do you do?

A:  We practiced anywhere from two to four days a week for one to two hours each day for three weeks before our competition in Plains

How much do you like doing archery?

A: Archery is one of my favorite activities but its more like a hobby to me that I pick up and do when I feel like it or when we are practicing for a competition.  I think it’s pretty cool to do something that not very many people do and unlike bow hunting, this is without sights or release triggers.

What other things do you like to do outside of archery?

A: I’ve really liked going to the gym to practice for basketball and volleyball and once track starts up, I’ll hit the track hard again. I also like going floating on the river with some of my friends or hanging out on the lake. I like going camping with the family and sitting around the campfire and also visiting new places and meeting new people.

What’s you favorite memory competing in archery so far?

A: My favorite memory was at practice this year when a couple of boys and I decided we wanted to try and shoot left handed a couple of times. Lets just say I think I’m going to stick to shooting right handed.

What is your favorite quote?

A: “Don’t aim for success if you want it. Just do what you love and believe in it, and it will come naturally,” quoted from David Frost.