Mars Area sophomore is archery champ
Mars Area High School sophomore Claire Staresinic spent part of her life believing that she was not good at any athletic endeavor.
“I don’t have hand-eye coordination,” she said.
But five years ago, a friend talked her into trying archery — and her hand-eye coordination turned out to be just fine for that.
Claire, 16, took first place in her competition at the Pennsylvania State Archery Association Indoor Championship April 11-12 in Harrisburg.
And, she finished second in March at the U.S. National Indoor Championship and the 2015 Junior Olympic Archery Development National Indoor Championship. She tied for 10th in her division in JOAD national rankings.
She hopes to place higher in the JOAD division and compete next year in the adult division. “That is really what separates the better archers and helps you qualify for international competition,” she said.
Claire, the daughter of Maria and Ken Staresinic of Middlesex,
said she was hesitant when her friend suggested that she try archery. But it is a good fit, she said.
“It’s such a mental sport that is focused on the individual competitor but with team support as well,” she said. “It’s similar to playing an instrument. You have to know your equipment and how to use it properly.”
Claire competes for a JOAD team at Northside Sportsmen Association in Adams, usually traveling to tournaments within an hour’s drive of the club. She said the state tournament allowed her to compete against others from the central and eastern part of Pennsylvania as well as the western district.
“I’ve been having a really good season, so I was feeling pretty confident. I figured that I would make the top three,” she said.
Claire gives credit for her success to her coach, Evan Clark, who “really got me motivated in archery to go beyond our usual Sunday practices. He is very inspiring.”
Although archery is a sport in the Summer Olympics, Claire said she is not interested in following that track.
“I have a lot of other interests that I enjoy,” she said. “I definitely want to keep up with it for the rest of my life, but I would like to keep up with my other interests also.”
She is one of the student council liaisons with the school board. She plays oboe in the concert band and played in a youth orchestra in Greensburg for two years. She also speaks German and is on the high school forensic steam.
And, she has some lofty ambitions for her future after high school.
“I would like to look into biology and psychology. I have always been into medicine,” she said. “I want to keep up with German, also — definitely a minor in German.”