Despite it being his first year of competition, Caden Gilley took home fourth place at the National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament for Tennessee. (Contributed photo)For most students, the first year of playing a new sport is spent learning the rules and getting the hang of competing. For Caden Gilley, a seventh-grader at Hixson Middle School, it meant qualifying for nationals.
While he'd practiced recreationally, Caden hadn't competed in archery prior to joining his school's team this year. Yet he managed to place fourth in the state tournament for the National Archery in the Schools Program at the end of March, earning him a spot at nationals.
He gave credit to the Hixson Middle archery coaches for instructing him in how to shoot competitively and how to maintain a competitive attitude.
"They would shoot with you and have contests with you for fun. If I was nervous, they'd joke around with me and tell me what I needed to do and how to do it," said Caden.
In a competition between Hixson Middle and Hixson High schools earlier this year, not only did Caden outshoot his older competitors, he broke the high school's scoring record. The previous high score was 270; Caden shot a 278.
His performance at the state tournament earned him a staggering 281 points, just one point shy of the third/second place tie. Had he scored that extra point, Caden said he would have brought home the silver, as ties are broken by the number of bull's-eyes and he had more than either of the other two competitors just ahead of him.
In archery, there are two rounds, one from 10 meters and another from 15 meters. Each shooter gets 15 arrows per round, and arrows are scored by their proximity to the bull's-eye. The closer the arrow, the more points the competitor gets. Based on his performance in his prior competitions, Caden said he was aiming for a top five finish at the state tournament - which he got.
Next year, he said he's setting sights even higher, aiming for a top three finish at state and a better performance at nationals.
The national tournament was held in Louisville in early May, and by Caden's own admission, he didn't shoot well.
"I'm not very satisfied with my performance in Louisville," he said. "I was getting frustrated as I shot, and it all started downhill from there. It was a big learning experience."
If he'd replicated his state score at nationals, he said he would have placed in the top 50 instead of down around 700, but he's confident he will do better next year.
"I've got a goal, and I know I can achieve it," said Caden. "If you don't set goals you're not going to accomplish much."