The New Paltz Archers Celebrate Women’s History Month

The SUNY New Paltz Archery Club hosted a Women’s History Month event at Ti Yogi Bowmen in Poughkeepsie on March 29. They dedicated this practice to help promote and discuss women’s participation in archery. 

The club was founded in 2023 by William Speziale, Shea Dank and Issac Freierman, who had a vision of sharing their love for archery and since then have held meetings at Ti Yogi every Wednesday and Saturday. William Speziale, founder and secretary, discussed the importance of archery. “It’s such an intrinsically and self competitive sport, where at the end of the day it’s you and yourself, and you see your mistakes on the scoreboard or wherever you’re shooting,” said Speziale. “It’s a totally different discipline, and discipline is such a huge part of it. It’s just putting your mind with patience and also at the same time, giving you an amazing stress outlet, you know, to relax. And especially for students, I think it’s important to have that.” 

The club is gearing up for an exciting tournament against Yale. The competition opened on March 30 and will be a virtual event where schools will submit their scores on an Excel sheet. Scores will be separated into different categories providing a unique opportunity for the club to compete against a prestigious school while continuing to grow and expand.

“Archery is one of the pioneering sports in women’s sports history,” Speziale said. “It was one of the first sports in the Olympics to include women in 1904 and the World Archery Federation is the first international federation to have a female president.” 

The club invited local girls groups to participate, aiming to educate the community about the rich history of women in archery and encourage more female involvement in the sport. “We wanted to invite some girls clubs to hopefully try and get more women into archery, because it is still a male-dominated sport, and with that, there are still a lot of inequalities that come with it, socially and institutionally.” 

Mary Safford, fellow archer and competitor at Ti Yogi, connects to Women’s History Month by showing how women can break barriers in sports like archery. Through her own experience, she proves that women of all ages can thrive, grow and find empowerment in archery. 

”For me, archery is fun and there’s no pressure to do things a certain way. As a grown-up mom, there’s no ‘tiger mom’ standing on top of you saying you have to do it that way,” said Safford. 

From learning the basics to gaining confidence in her skills, she inspires other women to embrace the sport. Her story highlights how women are making their mark in archery and encourages others to join in, demonstrating that history is still being made in sports. “Archery for women is cool, and I really wish more would join, because it’s not an all-boys sport and sometimes the guys say ‘you shoot pretty good for a girl.’ Well, yes I do, I shoot pretty well, and I’m proud of it. Don’t let people discourage you from doing what you love.” 

Brooke Lillian, the club treasurer and events manager, shared her journey with the sport. “I got into archery when I was 12 because I was reading this one book, The Ranger’s Apprentice, and from then on I taught myself how to shoot. I was the only one in my family doing it.” As a STEM major, she was used to being surrounded by guys, but she found a supportive environment in archery. “I thought it would be intimidating, but I was actually one of the best, and the guys were supportive and hyped each other up.”

Transfer Student Angelina Frangipane felt a strong sense of community when she joined the New Paltz Archery Club. “I was looking for things to get involved with and meet more people on campus. I’m not perfect at it, but it’s just so fun to be part of a group of people who are interested in the same thing,” she said. Having started archery at age eight, Frangipane credits her family for introducing her to the sport. She appreciates the supportive environment, especially as a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated sport. “I’ve faced a lot of great and supportive people in the community, and especially as a young woman, they really want to nurture that excitement.” 

Newer member Nora Sterling encourages women to embrace archery despite the stereotypes. Initially worried about the sport’s male dominance, she was pleased to find a welcoming community. “I was worried it was going to be predominantly male, but when I went to the meeting, there were a bunch of girls also interested,” she recalled. Sterling stresses that archery is inclusive and not just for men, urging women to join and break down barriers. “It’s very welcoming to everyone, no matter race, gender, whatever,” she says.

These stories from Lillian, Frangipane and Sterling reflect the empowering environment at New Paltz Archery, where women of all skill levels feel supported. During Women’s History Month, their journeys remind us of the importance of creating inclusive spaces where women can break barriers, challenge stereotypes and inspire others to pursue their passions.

If you’re interested in learning more about the New Paltz Archery Club, be sure to check out their Instagram at @newpaltzarchers for updates, including their first remote competition against Yale.