Outdoor Rec scores bull’s-eye with archery shoot Published April 22, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Thomas Dow Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Twenty members of Team Minot showed their shooting skills at an archery simulator tournament held April 18 at Outdoor Recreation here. The archery simulator is a system which allows shooters to experience realistic hunting situations. The tournament's simulator consisted of whitetail deer in hunting scenarios projected on a screen. The archer's shots were scored by how good the shot was on the intended target. In the past, local archers gathered on their own and held simulator tournaments. This year Outdoor Rec decided to host the event. According to Rachel Filkins, assistant director of Outdoor Rec, it was a great success. "It went great," Filkins said. "We had lots of positive feedback, including many people who want to have the tournament more than just once a year. Overall it was a huge success." In fact, the tournament was so popular, Filkins said they had to extend the tournament's hours to accommodate all the shooters. With so many interested people, Outdoor Rec is already looking to expand and improve the event. "We are looking into possibly splitting the tournament into two separate days," Filkins said. "We also are looking into doing another tournament, maybe before hunting season." The tournament consisted of two-person teams, with 1st-3rd place teams awarded trophies and gift certificates. However, it wasn't about winning and losing; it was about having fun with fellow archers. Robert Hanna, member of the 1st-place team, said he and his teammate Mitchell Brands are looking forward to more events in the future. "We both felt it was a good time and would like to thank Outdoor Rec for putting it on for all the base archers," Hanna said. "It was lots of fun and very close between first and second place." It wasn't just the team winners who enjoyed the tournament. Everyone involved seemed to mirror Hanna's enjoyment and gratitude. "My family had a great time Friday afternoon," said Mariah LeBlanc, an avid archer and tournament participant. "We had lots of fun." So, thanks to the planning, participation and support by Outdoor Rec and base archers, this year's tournament ended with a perfect score. 1st-place team Robert Hanna Mitchell Brands Team score-411.545 2nd-place team James Johnson Andrew Zahm Team score-404.438 3rd-place team Thomas Lake Scott Piton Team score-391.612