BRIMPAEN’S Tori Dunn cemented herself as the best field archer in Australia with three national records at the Australian Field Archery Championships.
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Dunn returned to the Wimmera last week after competing in Hervey Bay, Queensland, during the Easter break.
She set new national records in the field, hunter and animal divisions at the championships.
Field archery is different from Olympic-style target archery because it takes place entirely outdoors, with obstacles between the archer and target.
The field division involves shooting at different targets from different distances, hunter involves multiple shots at the same targets over varying distances, and the animal division involves shooting at animal silhouette targets.
Distances can vary from only a few metres up to almost 80 metres.
Dunn’s new national record score of 400 in the field division was just short of the world record score, 414.
She said she was in the best form of her archery career.
“I definitely shot better up there than I have before,” she said.
“Shooting those personal bests and setting three national records gives me a lot of confidence.
“If I can replicate what I did at the world championships later this year, that would be excellent.”
Dunn is set to compete at the International Field Archery Association world championships in America in August.
She has already won a world title in the female bowhunter recurve, at the last world championships in Argentina in 2012.
“Shooting those personal bests and setting three national records gives me a lot of confidence.''
- Tori Dunn
Dunn said she was confident she could mix it with the best in the world.
“It depends on the day who can hold it together mentally, but if I can shoot a personal best, I can definitely win the competition,” she said.
“The Australian record I just set in field is essentially only two arrows off the world record.”
Dunn practises between one and three hours for five or six days each week.
She said she was in the process of setting up a target range on her property that replicated the conditions she would shoot under at the world championships.
At the world championships, Dunn will face American Sandy McCain – one of the very best.
She said her goal was to match or beat McCain.
Dunn will be part of a contingent of up to 30 Australians at the world championships.
