Mill Creek archers qualify for World Archery Tournament

MADISON – Mill Creek Elementary School is home to numerous toxophilites . . . but there’s no cause for alarm. In fact, the campus is fortunate to have them. A toxophilite is a person dedicated to the sport of archery. Mill Creek archers’ dedication led to wins at state-level and two regional tournaments… and qualifying for the WORLD tournament.

One Mill Creek archer, 10-yearold Brynlee Reynolds who will enter fifth grade, tried out for the team last year. Brynlee’s father, Adam Reynolds, attended the parents’ meeting for prospective archers.

Approximately 60 students vied for 25 slots. Brynlee was accepted for the team; in months to come, she performed well beyond her expectations.

Archery is one of the oldest sports still practiced. Archaeologists believe the use of bows and arrows started as early as 50,000 years ago, according to contributor Carolyn Ashcroft.

Archery, an official event in the modern Olympic games, was the first Olympics game to allow females. Considered one of safest sports, archery has a low injury rate, Ashcroft said.

Brynlee practiced target shooting in her home’s backyard several days weekly. A friend, Dylan Bye, coached and mentored her. Dylan, then a senior at James Clemens High School, had an impressive tournament score of 297. Brynlee and Dylan were friends, cheering each other on at competitions.

For indoor contests, officials measure target distances at 10 and 15 meters. Every aim is different. At her first tournament, Brynlee scored 118, coming second to last.

You can compare archery scores to bowling scores. Scoring more than 100 points is fairly good; scores at 200-plus are above average.

While practicing, Brynlee best remembers an instruction from her coach: “Anchor one and anchor two.” “This is the placement of your two fingers close to the mouth and jaw before you let go of the bow’s string,” Brynlee said.

The Mill Creek Archery Team performed well at state competition in Montgomery and advanced to the Regional Archery Tournament in Guntersville. Their next contest was Eastern Nationals in Louisville, Ky. where Brynlee scored 257 points, her personal record and good for third place.

Mill Creek qualified for the National Archery in the Schools Program or NASP World Tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. However, the team didn’t attend because Mill Creek didn’t have enough members on the roster.

Brynlee’s mother, Jennilyn Reynolds, was impressed with Brynlee’s poise and calmness while standing next to other age competitors, including middle-school or highschool age competitors.

Brynlee is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attributes some lessons learned from her membership. “She is kind to everyone and has respect for others, regardless of their differences. Brynlee treats everyone with love and kindness,” Ashcroft said.

“Brynlee serves others through simple acts, like helping a friend. She prays and develops faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, as they help her to feel comforted and guided in her daily life,” Ashcroft said.

Brynlee will join her classmates in the fifth-grade archery team at Mill Creek for the upcoming 20252026 season.

For more information, visit naspschools. org.