Patience and persistence paid off for competitive archer, Wyatt Michaud, at the recent Wisconsin Archery Alliance State Indoor event, held 2/11-2/13. The 26-year-old Michaud led the event in the amateur division with a perfect 300 60X on day 1 and followed up with a 300 58X on day 2 to take the second position on the final podium. The NFAA sanctioned event is Wisconsin’s premier indoor archery tournament, attracting the top shooters from around the state. Michaud competed in the highly competitive Amateur Male Freestyle category.
The NFAA event includes 12 individual 5-spot ends per day, for a total of 60 arrows scored per day. Each of the “spots” on the 5-spot target consists of an inner 3” white circle scoring 5 points. The outside blue circle scores 4 points. The very inner 1.5” X-ring is the coveted prize. Archers are scored by total points and total number of X-rings shot throughout the round. The number of X-rings can be the deciding factor in the NFAA event. Michaud’s perfect 300’s both days mean he never left the white 5-point circle for the 60 scorable arrows per round, across both days of the event. Even more notable, he hit all 60 X-rings on day 1 and 58 out of 60 X-rings on day 2.
“I’ve only shot 60X one other time in my life and maybe a handful of 58X’s, but never together within a full-game,” said Michaud. “To pull it all together and perform like that across a 2-day tournament of this size and caliber is a major accomplishment in my career.”
Michaud, the Digital Marketing Specialist at Bast-Durbin Advertising, started shooting early, at the age of 7, with the encouragement of his dad, who bought him his first “real” bow at the age of 10. The passion continued into high school as he sold and set up bows in the archery department at Gander Mountain. Through his college years studying marketing, Michaud continued learning his craft as an Archery Tech & Sales Associate at Buck Rub Archery, one of the largest independent bow shops in Wisconsin. 2017 was the year the tournament bug finally bit Michaud.
“I finally took the dive and went all-in, purchasing the equipment I needed to be competitive at the tournament level,” said Michaud. “Long bars, target sights, lenses, you name it. It took me about a year before I shot my first 300 on a 5-spot target. I put a lot of time in on the range.”
When not competing against the top archers in the state, Michaud is running digital campaigns, managing social media pages and overseeing Field & Pro Staff members for some of the largest brands in the outdoor industry. In his off-time, Michaud donates his digital expertise to assist his local archery club, Horicon Marsh Bowmen, with their own marketing and promotions.
