PIKEVILLE, Ky. - Former Pikeville High School head coach Shane Hurt and All-American collegiate archer Ellie Yocum have been selected to lead the University of Pikeville archery program heading into the inaugural 2017-18 season.
Hurt will serve as head coach, while Yocum will be the team's assistant coach. Archery will be co-ed in its early stages, making it UPIKE's 22nd varsity sport offering, joining eSports as the latest additions since 2014.
UPIKE is just the sixth collegiate athletic department in Kentucky to sponsor archery as it continues to grow in the state after being added to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's slate in 2012.
Hurt helped start archery at Pikeville High School, making it the first National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) in Pike County. Since last year, he has also served as the NASP 13th Region Coordinator, actively recruiting new programs around the region.
In three years at Pikeville, Hurt led the team to the state tournament in just his third season while also hosting and organizing the 13th Region Tournament in 2015 and 2016.
Yocum arrives at UPIKE after a four-year collegiate archery career at Cumberlands where she also served as an office assistant for the team during her senior year. Apart from her time at Cumberlands, she has been an archery instructor for Frankfort Parks and Recreation and provided private lessons as well.
As a student-athlete, Yocum is a four time All-American, earning the honor in outdoor competition in 2017, 3D in 2016 and 2015 and again in outdoor in 2015. Yocum helped the Patriots to the 2017 USCA Outdoor Team National Championship and USCA Indoor national title that same season.
Yocum was part of four national championships in all as Cumberlands also won the 2015 3D national title and 2015 outdoor championship. The Frankfort native collected an individual first-place finish in the 2015 USCA 3D Women's Division.
The Bears will join the United States Collegiate Archery Association where they will compete in regional and national championships in three divisions, including 3D, indoor and outdoor events. Competition is scheduled to start in September.
http://upikebears.com/
