Roberts produces national record to beat archery rival

The event attracted 300 of the country’s finest young archers, with Saturday seeing competitors shoot a FITA/metric round which comprised 12 dozen arrows shot over four distances which differed according to the entrants’ age.

In the girls’ under-12 category, Roberts recovered from a slow start to shoot a new club and county record of 1,289.

Despite equalling the national record for the 20m distance and setting a new national record for the 10m, Roberts finished second to Lizzie Warner (Kirby Muxloe) who posted a new national record of 1,320.

Michael McCarthy won the under-12 boys’ with a country record score of 1,237, while his sister Caitlin scored 1,185 to finish sixth in the under-16 girls’ section.

The following day the trio shot for the British Championships, competing in Bristol rounds over three distances.

Roberts gained revenge on Warner with a national record haul of 1,262 points, while Michael McCarthy continued his impressive weekend, edging out Ryan Kendrick (Supermarine Bowmen) to win his second title.

Caitlin McCarthy was unable to reproduce her form of the previous day, coming 13th in a section dominated by Britain’s leading junior archer Rebecca Martin.