Niebla finds success in world of archery
CALEXICO — Like most kids, Pablo Niebla tried his hand in a variety of sports including the most popular soccer, football and baseball.
The 16-year-old said he didn’t quite find himself in any of those sports, yet in attending a soccer game in Mexicali came across the unique sport he’s been competing in for the past five years.
“I saw people walking and they were carrying bows and arrows, so I went to check it out,” Niebla explained.
The sport Niebla stumbled upon was archery, which quickly caught his interest.
“I just thought it was different and something I wanted to try to do,” Niebla said.
Over the past few years, Niebla honed his craft training in Mexicali and at the Imperial Valley Archery Club.
After only a few years of participating in the sport, Niebla became a member of Baja California’s archery team and has been competing in the Mexican National Olympics since 2015.
“When I compete, I like it’s your individual technique and experience that gives you what you need to try and beat others,” Niebla said.
Most recently, the Calexico High School junior took second place for the third year in a row at the Annual California State Outdoor Archery Championships.
“I think in archery and in any sport, you always feel like you can do better,” Niebla said of the experience.
In each competition, Niebla competes against archers of his age, who shoot 36 arrows from four different distances for a total of 144 shots.
The targets are placed at 70, 60, 50 and 30 meters away with the bull’s-eye growing increasing smaller from the shorter distances.
“My favorite distance is the 50 meters,” Niebla said. “That’s where you can really see who can compete.”
Niebla credits his coach of two years Alejandrina Santa Cruz and his father Eduardo Niebla with helping him continuously improve in his sport.
The two will be on hand when Niebla competes in the 2017 California State Games later this month, as well as the international competition SoCal Showdown in September.
“I’m looking forward to meeting people,” Niebla explained.
This will be Niebla’s third time competing in the Cal State Games, which will take place at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista on July 15.
“Last year I liked my result even though I didn’t place, so this year I think I can do much better,” Niebla said.
Niebla said he also enjoyed archery because it takes him to different places to compete.
His most memorable competition came last year at the Binational Games, where he upset the reigning champ from Puerto Rico.
“It was memorable because nobody expected it,” Niebla said with a smile.
While Niebla never imagined he would become a top competitor in his age for archery, he said he’s glad he took those initial steps toward the archers in Mexicali five years ago.