‘I've always thought I could go farther’: Teen archer claims Triple Crown Title

▶️ Listen to this article now.

SANDPOINT — He’s a four-time state champion and one of Sandpoint’s top young athletes, but 17-year-old Nic Peacock often flies under the radar when it comes to recognition outside his field.

An archer for the past 12 years, Peacock says he picked up the sport because it is one of the few that allowed him to compete as an individual.

After expressing a “huge” interest in archery at the age of 5, the whole family went to get Peacock a bow as a Christmas present, said his mother Kristan Peacock. After that, he never looked back.

Peacock has a disability that limits his mobility, which makes it difficult to compete on teams — but that hasn’t stopped the Sandpoint High School sophomore from dominating at competitions.

Most recently, Peacock won his age category by 40 points for the North Idaho Triple Crown, a series of three individual outdoor archery tournaments that finished up over the past weekend.

“What is going to keep me going and what's gonna keep me motivated — because if I sit down for a long time, I become super tight, and I can't do much. So shooting archery gives me [a reason] to go outside. What drove me is I've always thought I could go farther than I was,” Peacock said.

Something unique to archery is the amount of patience it takes to do well, Peacock says. A.C. Sanchez, a friend and longtime archer, says what he admires most about Peacock is his attitude and perseverance.

“As far as the mental aspect, he's head and shoulders above any youth that I've seen shoot, Sanchez says. “His attitude on the archery range, or on the shooting line, takes a lot of mental preparation, and mental ability to be able to shoot in all of these conditions that he has weather-wise and terrain-wise. And he just has the fortitude to not give up. I don't believe that's in his vocabulary.”

Even on the coldest, snowiest and windiest days, Peacock always kept a good attitude, Sanchez said.

Something else unique to archery, Sanchez said, is the athlete is solely responsible for the success or failures on the field.

“When you put it all together, and you do get on the podium, you're recognized,” Sanchez said. “That is a personal achievement. Not a team effort or group effort, at least not in the front of the scenes — everyone has coaches or mentors. But when you put it all together, you're the one standing on the podium.”

Beyond the love of the sport itself, Peacock said the “family” he’s found through archery is a blessing. They push him to keep improving, he said, and they can relate to each other and the challenges each faces.

“It's a nice feeling. Because you could talk about archery, and [they] understand what you're saying,” Peacock said. “We all understand the same logic behind what's going on and what has to happen.”

In the near future, Peacock plans to compete at a 4-H tournament in Boise this June, where he hopes to earn a spot at the national competition in North Dakota.

Eventually, he’d like to compete in the paralympics, as well as national championships in Redding, Calif., and The Vegas Shoot in Las Vegas, which draws thousands of archers and spectators from around the world.

“He's, he's determined,” Sanchez says. “I believe he will make it there. And I really hope he makes a strong showing.”

Even beyond his skills in archery, though — which are notable — the young archer is a standout person in general.

“I hope everyone finds a friend like Nic. He really just has that no-quit attitude. And it’s always a smile and a ‘How are you doing? How did you do today?’ He’s just a good-hearted person,” Sanchez said. “I wouldn't mind him as a son — I would love to have him as my son … so kudos to his parents as well.”