Gillingham Charter School archer ranked 9th in U.S., headed to nationals in August
POTTSVILLE — Caleb Grant, it might be said, is a straight shooter.
A senior at Gillingham Charter School, Grant recently ranked ninth among 204 of the best male high school archers in the nation.
Grant scored 298 out of a possible 330 points at the Genesis Indoor World Championships held May 8-10 in the Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville.
His ranking in the top 10 nationally qualifies Grant for the International Bowhunters Organization outdoor world championships from Aug. 8-11 in Berkley Springs, West Virginia.
Lenny Martin, Gillingham’s athletic director and archery coach, attributed Grant’s expertise with the bow to his confident demeanor under the pressure of world-class competition.
“He doesn’t get excited,” said Martin, sporting a Gillingham Wolfpack Archery T-shirt. “Even when he misses, he moves right on to the next target.”
The son of Andre and Samantha Grant, Caleb first showed interest in archery when he was in seventh grade.
He put it aside until last year, when as a junior, his interest in the sport rekindled.
During a recent practice session at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 in Mar Lin, Grant demonstrated the skill that catapulted him into national competition.
Martin placed about 10 life-size animal targets on the IU’s basketball court. Arranged at varying distances, the targets included deer, a mountain goat and smaller animals, like a coyote and turkey.
Each of the targets, which are made of a rubberized material, had a designated zone that included a tiny bull’s-eye not visible to the archer.
Zeroing in on the target, Grant methodically drew back the bowstring and let an arrow fly.
With amazing accuracy, he placed several arrows in the target zone, many in the bull’s-eye.
In the coyote target, which was about 15 yards away, he put four of five arrows in the bull’s-eye — in tournament, bull’s-eyes score up to 11 points.
In Louisville, where the archer gets only one shot at each of 30 targets, Grant scored 8, 10 or a max of 11 points with every arrow.
Asked how he was able to hit the bull’s-eye when it’s so difficult to see, Grant said he estimates its location based on previous shots.
He’s enrolled in Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, where he plans to major in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning program. The school also has an archery team.
Andre Grant, Caleb’s father, said that his son’s archery skills have undergone significant improvement this year. He attributes it to Caleb’s ability to focus and concentrate during competition.
“He’s able to master the mental space,” said the elder Grant, an emergency room case manager. “In competition, it’s you, the bow, the arrow and the target. Everything else has to be blocked out.”
