Two local archers have won gold and silver medals at the B.C Winter Games in Quesnel.
Austin Marasco placed first and broke a record in the Men’s U18 compound archery competition, and Mikaela Garlock finished in second place in the Women’s U18 compound.
Athletes competed indoors and were tasked with shooting three-face bullseye targets from a distance of 18 meters. They each shot four rounds and then the top four scores went on to the semi-finals.
Marasco beat Kayden D’Entremont of Quesnel by one point in the gold medal match, with a score of 145 to 144, and Garlock was edged out of first place in the semi-final match by Lily Fraser from 150 Mile House by only four points.
Marasco’s father Kevin said the final match had everyone on the edge of their seat.
“They were tied going into the last three arrows and it looked like they were going to a shoot-off, but all of sudden they announced Austin” he recalled.
“It was insanely close and the competition was unreal,” he added.
Garlock said her gold medal game was the most difficult of the tournament, and that she had to rely on mental focus and concentration to give her the edge she needed.
“I found it pretty fun because it gives you more of a challenge. There were a lot of nerves,” she said.
“It was harder to focus because it was down to the top two. You’re focusing on what might happen, what could wrong, what could go right. That’s where I found it difficult,” she added.
Marasco and Garlock were not the only local athletes who attended the event. Emma Heather-Harry and Jaxon Sisley also competed and achieved respective standings of eight and sixth place.
Alicia Hockley of Cranbrook came in fourth.
Marasco beat a record for the highest-ever score at B.C Winter Games with a total of 1,153 points. Coach Kevin Evans said the previous high was set by a competitor from Prince George in 2014 with 1,144 points and later by another youth with 1,145 points.
Both Marasco and Garlock have families that are involved in archery through Fernie Rod and Gun Club, and have practiced the sport since they were young children. Garlock’s cousin and aunt have competed in archery before and Marasco’s brother Ty placed sixth in compound archery at the B.C Winter Games in 2020.
Marasco has been practicing with Cranbrook’s Jordan Adachi who won silver in the World Archery Youth Championships in 2017.
The Winter Games has a rule that archers can only compete once at the event, so most athletes who make it there have a goal of moving upwards to higher levels and making it to nationals.
“It’s kind of like a stepping stone. [B.C Archers] wants them to go to different competitions, regionals, provincials. They try to progress the archer if they’re good enough to make the Canadian National Team,” Kevin Marasco explained.
Garlock said she met many amazing people through the Winter Games and made memories along the way.
“I’m thankful to be where I am and for the people that I bonded with along the way. I was thankful to be able to attend,” she said.