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Kennedale?s first archer sent to a national tournament, Graci Hale, finished with a score of 276,? ranking her 49th overall among female archers in all division at the tournament held in Salt Lake City, Utah last month. This put her in the top 10%.?{{more: continue …}}?
The NASP (National Archery in Schools Program) Western Nationals in Salt Lake City, represented archery programs from 28 states. Graci qualified because her third place finished at the Texas Archery Championship earlier this semester. A similar tournament will be held this month representing the eastern states.
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a first for Kennedale ??
National archery qualifier, Graci Hale and KHS sponsor Danny Wilcox check in at tournament in Salt Lake City
?It was exciting and it was exciting to me to be the first to go to nationals,? said Hale who is a sophomore this year at Kennedale High School. She added, ?I had some difficulties at 15 meters but score a perfect 50 at 10 meters and came in 26th out of 217 females.??
A look at
the overall scores, shows that Graci also finished 9th out of all 10th
grade girls in the tournament.?
When asked if she had shot before, Hale replied, ?I picked up a bow in September because I took Mr. Wilcox?s class. And, I just really enjoyed, so I joined the archery team. Smiling she said, ?I think I shot a bow at Camp Thurman when I was like 8 but that was like it.?
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a twist in the story ?
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?I really miss playing a sport and having a team behind me. I use to play soccer but I can?t play the sport anymore,? said Hale.
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As Mr. Wilcox reported earlier in a post on the Kennedale Outdoor Education Club Facebook, Graci has a condition called fibromyalgia which has limited her activities and according to Wilcox, ?… she wants to encourage others to find their niche as well.??
The Mayo Clinic describes fibromyalgia as follows.
- It is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.?
- Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.?
- Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men.?
- While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures also may help.
Recently Graci and her mom were guests on the Big Billy Kinder Outdoors Radio Podcast,?where they talked about her archery and her fibromyalgia.?The recorded version of their appearance on April 20, can be found at the 66.00 mark in the recording @ Annie Hale, mom and Graci Hale. It is followed by a short interview with KHS Outdoor Education teacher, Danny Wilcox.
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more than just the tournament …?But for Hale it was not just the tournament that was fun, it was seeing Salt Lake City. Her parents and her brother along with Mr. Wilcox were with her on the trip. ?We took the morning after I shot and we rode these scooter that they had there and we rode them all around the city. It was so much fun and Salt Lake is so beautiful.??
For Kennedale, the Outdoor Education Program is a unique opportunity to get kids involved in school in a different way. The outdoor education program, started 6 years ago by KHS Biology teacher Danny Wilcox, has become a part of the regular curriculum and has seen hundreds of students pass through the program. Besides reacquainting the students with outdoor experiences, it has spawned competitive high school teams in archery and fishing. Next week, KHS has three students fishing in a high school state bass fishing tournament.
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Wilcox hopes to expand the program in the future and give other students opportunities like Graci?s trip to the nationals.? One of his next goals is to start a booster club that can help support activities such as tournaments and educational trips.
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s’mores and more …?
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In the meanwhile, students who are members of the KHS Outdoor Education are getting ready for a day out of school on their annual trip to Lake Arlington for fishing, kayaking and enjoying? the outdoors.?
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Note – Like all extracurricular activities students are required to maintain their grades, attendance and behavior to participate.?
