By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Clanton Middle School and Chilton County High School archery teams both placed second overall in their division at the Regional Archery Tournament.

Two archers were at a target at a time. The competition included 30 shots and cumulated individual and team scores.

Coach Kelly Gaston said she was “extremely proud” of the team.

“It’s nice to see that their hard work has paid off,” Gaston said. “It’s nice to see the whole team come together and they put up a very good score.”

The team usually practices twice a week, but pumped practices up to three times a week.

Freshman Justin Liveoak placed second in the high school Boys Division with a score of 289.

Liveoak has been involved in Archery since sixth grade. Liveoak said his father introduced him to the sport.

“Then when I heard we had it at school, I thought it would be fun to try it,” Liveoak said.

In previous years, he has placed first at regionals in the Boys Division, so he was feeling confident going into the competition. He expected to take first again.

Senior Molly Desmond placed third in the high school Girls Division with a score of 271.

“It’s the first time that I actually scored that high,” Desmond said.

She has been involved in archery since seventh grade. Desmond said it was a physical education class that got her interested in the sport.

Desmond said she felt prepared going into the competition.

Eighth-grader Justin Dennis of CMS placed first in the middle school Boys Division with a score of 279 out of 300. Karis Walker, also an eighth grader, placed third in the Girls Division with a score of 270.