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Story by Spc. Adrian Wallace, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
[caption id="attachment_7788" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Students square off at the 2011 National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. (Photo by NASP Kentucky Director Tom Bennett)"]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 15, 2011) – The sons of two Kentucky National Guard soldiers are among the top athletes competing in the 2011 National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament. Joshua Gibson and Kyle Dillard have been involved in the NASP program for the last three years. The two have made it to the tournament for two years in a row.
Gibson is the son of Sgt. 1
st Class Troy Gibson, Co. B, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, and Dillard is the son of Sgt. Joshua Dillard, 2138th Forward Support Co. Both boys attend Eastside Middle School in Bullitt County and have four enthusiastic, inspiring coaches.
One of those coaches is Kyle's father.
“I’ve been coaching the kids for a couple of years now and just really enjoy it,” said Sgt. Dillard. “I just get worried these past few weeks that [Kyle] is more concerned with his guitar rather than his bow!”
The 2011 National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament was held this year at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Joshua and Kyle were ranked among the top archers in the country, earning them positions at the tournament.
The tournament is a two-day event that features the top elementary, middle and high school teams and individuals in the archery programs in their respective states. The expo center boasted record breaking numbers this weekend as school’s rallied behind their teams’ archers.
When asked about how he felt about the tournament, Joshua said “I’m excited and nervous.”
“I’m pretty confident,” Kyle said. “I’m going to make it to the top of the world.”
Ranking with averages of 265 and 266 out of a possible 300 while in middle school, it can be assumed that if things such as guitars don’t take away too much attention, the “top of the world” just may be an attainable goal.
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