JERSEY Archery Society member Mollie Perrett delivered an outstanding performance at the Archery GB Indoor Nationals, the final event of the 2024 indoor archery season, held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.
The prestigious event featured three competitions across different archery disciplines over the weekend: the Senior National Championships on Saturday, followed by the Junior National Championships and the ‘Back2Back’ event on Sunday.
Attracting the country’s top talent, the tournament offered a thrilling conclusion to the season.
Perrett competed in all three recurve events, starting with the Senior National Championships, where she excelled in a field of 96 competitors.
Setting a personal best in the ranking round, she finished 19th, earning a coveted spot in the top-32 Head-to-Head matches.
Her strong form continued in the H2H stage, where she battled fiercely to secure a final position of 17th overall, a significant achievement against some of the best senior archers in Great Britain.
Reflecting on the weekend, Perrett said, “It was amazing getting the experience to shoot alongside GB archers and world champions like Penny Healey, Bryony Pitman, and Ella Gibson. Competing at that level is something I’ll never forget.”
Sunday’s Back2Back event introduced the Islander to a new and intense competition format.
With 24 archers divided into four groups, each match involved shooting 12 arrows in a round-robin style event against five competitors.
The top two archers from each group, along with the four highest-scoring runners-up, advanced to the next round.
Competing in a group that included GB Olympic athletes, Perrett displayed resilience and determination, winning two matches and gaining valuable experience.
While she did not progress to the second round, she once again broke her personal best with a cumulative score that surpassed her senior competition performance.
“The Back2Back was an amazing experience. It was all the top archers and champions, and seeing that standard of archery up close was incredible,” she shared.
The weekend concluded with the Junior National Championships, where the Caesarean saved her best for last.
Maintaining her focus and consistency throughout the tightly contested event, she delivered a series of excellent shots and finished strongly to secure an impressive third place.
“It was definitely a tiring weekend,” Perrett admitted.
“I didn’t shoot my best in the Junior Nationals because I was a bit worn out, but it was still good enough to get a medal, which I’m really proud of.”
Having previously competed at the same event in 2018, Perrett was thrilled to see her progress over the years.
“I didn’t really have expectations going in since I hadn’t been to this competition in so long,” she explained.
“The last time, I didn’t place as highly – no medal and no finals – so it was really great to see how far I’ve come. It’s certainly a good benchmark of my improvement.”
Perrett, who transitioned to a new bow set-up in October, was quick to credit her support system. “My coach, Philippa Lowe, has been instrumental in helping me progress.
“I don’t really listen to my parents when they’re coaching me,” the archer joked, “Philippa has been that middle ground I needed to improve.”
She added that while her new bow “still needs tuning”, it performed well throughout the competition.
The Archery GB Indoor Nationals marked a fitting end to Perrett’s 2024 season, highlighting her growth and potential as she now shifts her focus to preparing for the 2025 outdoor season and the Orkney Island Games.
Her performances in Warwickshire, including two personal bests and a Junior Championship podium, showcased her as one of the rising stars in British archery.
