MADISON – In a short time, Alex King has mastered the sport of archery, now a popular sport for Madison youth.

An eighth-grader, King serves as captain of Liberty Middle School Archery Team. He shoots Genesis Bow, Recurve Bow and Compound Bow, as regulated with National Archery in Schools Program.

In August, Alex won his first national/world level tournament at Archery Shooters Association’s McKenzie Pro/AM Classic. More than 1,900 amateur and professional competitors participated from around the world.

On the last target, King won the 3-D Archery Championship title in the Middle School Youth Traditional Category, beating the 2015-2016 champion Rocky Moore.

“Going into the shot, I was down 4 points. When Rocky shot 5, I knew I had a chance. I took a deep breath and was very excited when I shot a perfect 12,” Alex said. “I finished with 3 points ahead to win first place.”

To brighten the day more, Alex was able to share the news with brother Allen King in the U.S. Air Force. “Allen spent his summer in Germany and Europe. I hadn’t talked to him since April.”

“Alex represents the model student-athlete,” Liberty Coach Cole Kelley said. “In the classroom, his teachers always have glowing things to say about him, as he exemplifies many leadership qualities, such as going the extra mile to make sure his classmates don’t fall behind in coursework when evident they need help.”

Cole said Alex was an obvious choice for Liberty’s first Archery Team captain. “Alex always came to practice with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Furthermore, he cared about his fellow archers’ improvement just as much. Overall, he represented Liberty and the archery team with class and a competitive spirit.”

Alex participates in Huntsville Archery Club, Junior Olympic Archery Development, Bow Hunters of Alabama, Archery Shooters Association and NASP.

This summer, Alex placed second in the Bow-up for Breast Cancer contest that raised approximately $406,350 for cancer research; first place as qualifiers in several Shooter of the Year events; first place for NASP in BHA State Championship; and Top Archer at two Boy Scout camps.

In addition, he was first-place winner for Youth Traditional in Bow Mania/World Deer Expo and was named Shooter of the Year by six organizations.