Andy Close
FRANKLIN, Pa. – Chase Card has gone national.
The youngster who hails from Scandia has risen through the ranks in competitive archery, recently taking first place in the second leg of the International Bowhunters Organization National Championship Triple Crown in Franklin.
It’s an impressive feat for a young man who has worked diligently at his craft and has been competing at the national level for a little over a year.
His most recent performance came on the heels of an effort that saw him tie for first in the first leg of the triple crown in the Cub Class (Boys ages 9-11, girls ages 9-12) and go to a shoot off, where he finished in second place.
All of that has him in first place overall heading into the final leg of the triple crown July 14-16 in Nelsonville, Ohio.
“The first leg of the IBO triple crown is the ‘first jewel,” they call it. Card said. “The first one (leg of the triple crown) was in Pipestem, West Virginia and I shot 416 with 22 11s. The course wasn’t too hard but some people thought it was hard.”
Card is competing against other archers from throughout the country, including Maryland, Michigan, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina.
“I’ve been doing pretty good,” Card said. “It takes a lot of practice. You have to shoot a lot to get good form and stay consistent.”
Card shot a 416 in the second leg, 10 points higher than second-place finisher McKenzie Campbell.
He’s on an impressive trajectory from a kid who first saw a bow at a young age and now has hopes of someday making it to the professional ranks.
“I saw a bow and I wanted to try it out,” Card said. “I started to shoot here and there for a little bit. After a while I wanted to hunt with my dad, but I had to wait until I was older. So then I tried out 3D archery and I started to shoot a lot.”
And while he is competing, Card says shooting actually helps him relax.
“If I’m having a bad day, it helps me calm down,” Card said. “I like shooting at fake animals out in the woods. I just like to be outside doing it. I’m pretty relaxed. The first year I did it I was kind of nervous, but now, since I’ve been shooting a lot of national shoots, I feel calmer about it.”
Of course, that isn’t always the case for parents.
“I think he’s the first person from Warren County to win a national leg of the triple crown,” said his father, Terry Card. “Parents get nervous watching their kid bat in a baseball game, I have to do that 40 times in one weekend. But it’s fun, and the archery community is really good, and I think Chase is bringing awareness to other kids who are starting to shoot here in Warren County.”
Card practices three times a week, and every day, 100 arrows a day in the week leading up to a national event.
The lowest he has finished this year, among his four national events (he’s now done eight national events total) was third at Winter National, followed by second-place finishers at Spring Nationals and the first leg of the triple crown.
He’s a YouTube channel, Chasen’ the Wild, as well as a Facebook page where people can watch him.
That, along with his recent performances has earned him attention from pro’s like Levi Morgan and Danny Evans, as well as some notoriety at home.
“When we were at Lowe’s, I had a guy come up to me and say “hey, aren’t you that archery kid?’” Chase Card recalled.
It’s not the first time it’s happened, and it definitely won’t be the last.
