Archer winds down thrilling year
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By
Rob Renaud
Sportswriter
The year of 2005 will live a long time
in the memory of one local archer and her coach.
In addition to those victories, Borges won the Pacific Coast
Championships, finished third at the World Archery Festival, won three
statewide tournaments and finished the year as the top-ranked woman in the
cadet recurve division in California.
And along the way, Borges has set 13 state records and four
national records. Recently, Borges was named the winner of the Karl Radde Award as the outstanding California JOAD archer
demonstrating the ideals of sportsmanship, citizenship and service as an
ambassador of the Olympic sport of archery by the State Archers of California.
"I can't really explain it," Borges said of her
incredibly successful year.
"I look back at it and say 'Wow.' A couple of years
ago, I didn't think I could do this. I feel so good about it, about what I've
done, about what people say to me. It's really helped my confidence. It's just
awesome."
"I don't think you can look back and find anyone who's
done what she has at this age," Washburn said.
Borges has been shooting competitive archery for nearly
three years, starting at
Six months later, she was invited to join an advanced
training program, which is the Nevada County Gold Archery Team, coached by
Washburn, an National Archers Association/National
Field Archery Association certified coach who has been a national competitor
since 1964 and a winner of 42 matches himself.
Borges' whirlwind year started last January at the 2005
California Bowhunter's/State Archers of
Next on the schedule was the World Archery Festival in
"I didn't shoot as well as I wanted to," Borges
said. "Some of it was the target size. We normally shoot at 40 centimeter
targets and they were 60 centimeters down there. I thought it was going to be
easier, but it wasn't because if your arrow was, say, in the blue, it was
farther out than it would be on the smaller targets."
Borges said that her experience in
"This is my first year doing national competitions and
going to
"You have to stop, close your eyes and focus. You
picture three arrows in the target. If you can't see it in your head, you won't
see it on the target."
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The Borges file |
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National champion
In March, Borges traveled to
The big tournament in
June was the 24th Annual JOAD Nationals held at Disney World in
"It was
big," she said. "Kind of overwhelming."
Borges won her second
national title in as many tries with an aggregate of 1,266, just 19 points
ahead of Melissa Ash in second place.
In July, at the 121st
National Target Championships in
State champion
During the first two weekends of May,
Borges competed in the Cotton Boll, an SAC-sponsored event in
Shooting as an adult
at the Cal Cup in
At the California
State Outdoor in
Borges finished her
summer by beating Dykman in the Grape Stakes
Tournament and then winning the Pacific Coast Championships.
Olympic training
Borges recently spent a week
at an Olympic training facility in
"It's not
easy," she said of performing at the high level she has attained. "It
doesn't just come. You can't just go out and do it. It takes a strong mental
game. I've learned so much."
"Incredible. That's the only word I have," Washburn said
of his prize pupil. "To see what she's done, the mental attitude, the
positive attitude. You have to put it all together, the talent, the mental
attitude, the positive outlook. If you don't have it, you're not going to make
it. And she's got it."
To contact
sportswriter Rob Renaud, e-mail robr@theunion.com or call 477-4240.