Archers celebrate most successful year yet

BALLYVALLY archers met in the Belmont Hotel on Friday February 5 to celebrate their most successful year yet.

The Secretary, Mr Eddie McClean welcomed everyone in a packed hall. He emphasised to a crowded hall that the Presentation night celebrated achievement and stickability in equal measure and that winning was not always the important factor.

Ballyvally was very much a family club and Ballyvally’s motto is that “the family that plays together stays together”. Last year Ballyvally had 439 archers of all ages shooting in the club. He welcomed the special guest, Mrs Gillian Dewart, Banbridge Council’s Sports Development Officer..

On stage were Club Treasurer, Mrs Patricia Mulligan and members of Ballyvally’s junior committee, Miss Ciara Dunleavy (Chairperson), Miss Shannon Russell-Cowan(secretary) and committee members Morgan Russell-Cowan, Rebecca Lennon, Lucy Stevenson, Emma Leeper and Frank Lennon as well as time keeper Rory Shannon.

Gillian Dewart then presented all the Ballyvally Buckaroos with specially designed certificates. On this year’s certificate was Robin Hood for only the seond time!

Mr McClean also acknowledged the growing number of girls and ladies taking up this challenging sport. The certificate was designed by club member Mr Paul Campbell.

On the national front, Ballyvally had organised the Irish leg of the British Barebow Champs in November. Squad trips had been organised to the UK qualifying Championships in Kendal, to the Irish championships in Wicklow, to the British open in Sussex and 27 Buckaroos also went to the UK Junior Field Champs in Swansea in July and many families enjoyed the normal weekly league matches in Banbridge Leisure Centre.

Ballyvally archers each year enter a national achievement scheme which sets standards and awards different colour badges for those juniors who reach them. In 2009 over 100 Roos achieved their white, blue, red and gold badges.

In 2009, seven different leagues were organised and because of the numbers each indoor league had to be divided into five sections - U9s, U12s, U15s, U18s and the adults. The indoor leagues were all shot in Banbridge Leisure Centre.

The spring league was shot between Christmas and Easter 2008 and in the U9 section 53 archers competed and 18 medals were awarded. The trophy for top boy was won by Luke McConnell and the girls was shared between sisters Bethany and Rachelle Stripp.

In the U12 section where 73 young archers competed, the trophies for top boy and girl went to Morgan Russell-Cowan and Mark Hamilton. The U15s saw 52 archers shoot and the trophies for the top girl and boy went to Shannon Graham and Frank Lennon. In the U18 section Gareth Ryan was top boy and Lauren Barr top girl, and in the adult section 89 seniors shot and the trophies for top lady and gent went to Lisa McConnell and Philip Beckett

The summer league was shot between Easter and the end of June 2009 and in the U9 section, 67 archers shot and 20 medals were awarded. The top girl was Molly Mathers and Luke Gilmour won the boys’ section.

In the U12s 87 archers shot and Rebecca Lennon and Roald Naeri won the girls and boy’s titles. In the under 15 section, 54 archers shot and Shannon Russell Cowan took the girls title while Frank Lennon took the boys.

In the U18’s Katie Stewart took the girls trophy and Gareth Ryan the boy’s title. In the senior section where 97 adults shot, Lisa McConnell and Rune Naeri took the honours and the trophies.

The Autumn league was the biggest with 94 archers shooting in the U9 class. Rachelle and Bethany Stripp shared the girls title and Luke McConnell the boys title.

The U12’s saw 111 archers shooting. Top girl in the under 12’s was Rebecca Lennon while Rory McMullen was top boy. In the U15’s Shannon Russell-Cowan completed the treble by winning all three leagues.

Frank Lennon also won all three of the boys titles. In the under 18’s Emer Montgomery took her second title taking the girls while Mark Nesbitt took the boys. The senior winners were Joanne Walker for her first ladies title and Damien Lennon for the men.

2009 was the 31st year of courses being set out in Loughbrickland woods by chairman Frank Mulligan and his team with the kind permission of Dr. Whyte. The 2009 outdoor leagues for real archers was shot in Ballyvally’s wooded courses during the year.

These were handicap shoots and so two adults and two juniors were placed. Winning the 2009 Outdoor League as the two top juniors were Shannon Russell-Cowan with Dean Hamilton while Marion Patterson was the top senior lady and Rune Naeri the top gent.

The league for the over 50’s shot on Tuesdays was won by Hazel Mulligan with Yvonne McKinley second and Rita Gordon third. Michael Geoghegan was top gent with Willian Cochrane second and Billy Martin third.

Gillian Dewart then presented the Phil Gordon award on behalf of the society. The award for 2009 went to Ballyvally archer Craig McCreery who shoots compound barebow and who shot very well at the UK juniors in Wales in August 2009.

There was then a short break in the proceedings before the major awards. Raffle tickets were sold to raise funds for this year’s charity, the Newry Hospice. Ballyvally would like to thank all those who brought raffle prizes and who contributed so generously.

The major awards were then handed out. The winner for January was Mark Nesbitt who had shot a magnificent score in the Youth Olympics in Austraia to win two gold medals.

Archer of the month for February 2009 was Eddie McClean who had organised the junior and senior indoor target champs while the March award went to barebow archer, Rune Naeri who won the Norwegian Championships.

April saw Rebecca Corbett put in some great scoresand was the most improved junior at the NI Field Champs in a tricky Roe Valley course while May saw Shannon Russell-Cowan win the ladies title at the British open in Sussex!

June saw a lady archer, Marion Patterson, put in a score of 375 which would have given her second place in the men’s category! In July Ballyvally archer, Deirdre Shannon, continued her series of quizzes to occupy everybody while waiting for the next day’s shooting while archer of the month for August was Robert Mallon who had shot for Great Britian in the World ganes in Teipei.

The September selection was easy enough as Mark Nesbit and Alan Convery shot in India in a run up to this year’s Commonwealth Games. October saw traditional archer, Andrea Hamilton shooting a new style to almost beat Ballyvally’s top man!

November saw the British Barebow Championships and Valerie Sleith shot so well she came fourth in the Open, third in the masters and second in the team competition.