Clear mind and a steady aim.

That describes Trinity junior Kyle Sears just before he lets loose an arrow from his bow. Sears is currently one of the best archers on Trinity’s team, but good scores are not all he brings.

Teammate Austin Hirtzel said, “He brings a friendly aspect to practice; he tries to involve everyone. He’ll really encourage you, whether you’re doing bad or not. Even though, I didn’t know him last year, he treated me like one of his buds.”

Veteran team member senior Patrick Letterle agreed:  “(Kyle) gets along with everybody. He makes practice a lot more fun. I like how he doesn’t take (things) too seriously, but he’s focused when he needs to be.”   

The Rocks, who compete with a team from Mercy, are coached by Rich McCauley and Kathleen McCauley.  Rich McCauley said Sears works very well with his team: “He doesn’t talk down to anybody. He’s a leader for the team, and many kids look up to him. I’ve enjoyed coaching him.”

Along with his leadership, Sears is a skilled archer.  The Trinity/Mercy archery team took second place in the NASP Regional Tournament, earning a spot in the state tournament last spring. Out of 229 archers, Sears led the team, taking first place in the High School Boys Division.

Hirtzel said, “This year and last year he contributed pretty well. He’s been overall an exceptional archer.”

“At the tournaments he’s focused,” said Rich McCauley, who has worked with Sears for three years. “He is one of the top shooters on the team, and he takes on the role of leader. Every year he has progressed. He has the ability to be top tier in the state.”

Sears, who began archery when he was about seven years old and began to compete in the seventh grade, said, “I stay focused; I try to shoot my best at every tournament.”

Sears became interested in archery through his physical education class in grade school and has trained to be the best. He spends about an hour and a half with the archery team every Tuesday and Thursday, then an hour or so on his own, typically in his backyard, working on what he calls his “aiming spot.”

Throughout his years of competing in archery, Sears has felt joy and disappointment. He said, “Playing in tournaments always makes me feel good; shooting poorly doesn’t put you down, but it doesn’t make you feel as good as you would if you shot normally.”

Managing his time, Sears said, is “not hard at all. (The sport) teaches you to manage your time because of the discipline.”

The discipline is what Sears enjoys about archery. “It causes you to focus — it’s quiet, peaceful. You’re able to clear your mind.”