Introducing our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, D’Iberville Archery’s Avary Peterson!

Introducing a whole new meaning to keep your eyes on the prize! This week’s WXXV Student Athlete of the Week is a real life Princess Merida not just because of her perfectly curled hair, but because of her independence, courage, and ability to shoot a bow and arrow like nobody’s business! Introducing D’iberville Archery’s very own, Avary Peterson!

What started off as an elective when she was younger turned into a lifestyle for D’Iberville senior Avary Peterson. Even though she didn’t take the sport seriously until her freshman year, those previous years with a bow and arrow formed her into the archer that she is now.

“It was more of that I was really comfortable with the sport already and so it was really easy for me to like pick up new concepts, new techniques and things like that, and that gave me a satisfying outcome and so now obviously I loved that feeling, so I’ve kept doing it and have really enjoyed it,” Peterson said.

Not only does she enjoy it, but she excels in it. During her freshman archery season, Peterson was named the Most Improved Archer and was a part of their first ever State Championship team.

“Again that satisfaction of just like wow this is our first year winning ever and I’m on this team and it just felt like a path I needed to stay on,” said Peterson. “You always have that sense of doubt within saying you don’t want to be too cocky. You want to do the best you can to just be the best you can, so it’s just knowing that you try as hard as you can is the most satisfaction you’ll get because I know I tried my hardest so I can sleep at the end of the day.”

For the past four years, Peterson has been sleeping really well. Earlier this week, the D’Iberville archery team won their fourth State Championship in a row and Peterson was the highest scoring female with a score of 293.

“It’s so surprising, but it’s also such a relief in a way that it gives me almost closure because freshman year I was constantly increasing my score each match to where I am now, I finished state with the highest score I have ever gotten,” said Peterson. “That was my PR (personal record) and it was actually really funny because my freshman year, my PR I reached at state that year.”

She was able to achieve all this while being a member of five different clubs and balancing a part-time job. Throughout all this, Peterson says she’s learned a lot about patience and letting things go.

“Definitely patience. Also you’ve got to learn to let things go. If I shoot an arrow and it ends up being a seven, there’s nothing I can do about that. I’ve just got to focus on the next one and kind of relieve myself of any past mistakes if I did something wrong on that one,” Peterson said. “I’ve just got to reflect and figure out what I did wrong, but most importantly just to make sure I do improve from that mistake.”

Making the very little if any mistakes she does now, it’s obvious that Peterson has not only been learning, but thriving as well!