JMU Archer to Compete in International Competition
Caroline McCracken will represent the United States in the 2020 FISU Pan-American Games
University Recreation
Written by Jessica Oostdyk (’20)
Caroline McCracken grew up participating in Indoor Nationals, an annual archery competition hosted at JMU, where she noticed the talent and spirit of JMU archers. Passionate about the sport, McCracken knew JMU was where she belonged.
McCracken, a sophomore Media Arts and Design major, has solidified her own place in JMU’s Archery Club. Growing up, she saw archery as an individualized sport and was accustomed to focusing on her personal improvements. When she joined the club team at JMU, she quickly embraced the value and support that came with being part of this team. “Here, it is truly about being selfless and focusing on the betterment of your team,” McCracken said. “I’ve never been a part of that before and that was really special to me to grow with them and to experience the highs and the lows together.”
Not only is she a member of JMU’s Archery Club, as she had hoped to be while growing up, but she has qualified to represent JMU and the United States in the 2020 FISU Pan-American Games.
The FISU Pan-American Games is an international, multisport competition for university sports. McCracken’s scores at the 2019 Outdoor Nationals qualified her and two other women from Columbia University and the University of Pikesville to compete as a team and represent the US in this annual competition.
McCracken, along with university athletes from around the world, will head to Mexico in May to compete. She is looking forward to showcasing her skills and competing alongside her talented peers. “I really have high hopes that me and the other girls will definitely bring home the gold for the US,” McCracken said. “That’s a lifelong dream for me.”
Learn more about the archery team at https://jmuarchery.com/index.html and discover all of JMU’s sport clubs at https://www.jmu.edu/recreation/sports/sport-clubs/.
May 5, 2020 Update: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 FISU Pan-American Games will no longer be taking place. We would like to still congratulate Caroline on this tremendous milestone.
