17-year-old Chickasaw Youth Ranks Second as USA Archer

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By Chickasaw Nation Media

December 04, 2024

Consistency has earned 17-year-old Griffin Witty the acknowledgment of being one of the top archers in the nation. For the 2024 outdoor archery season, he placed second in the under 18 fixed pin compound archery division presented by the United States Archery Team (USAT). Last year, he ranked an impressive third place within the organization.

To earn these top spots in his chosen sport, Griffin competes in nearly 20 local and national tournaments a year. A roller coaster sport with a lot of ups and downs, in early August Griffin was ranked at the top of his division in the nation.

“Frankly, it was shocking that I was ranked No. 1,” Griffin said. “I didn’t expect to win (at the tournament) that placed me first. I didn’t expect to win by the margin I did. It was gigantic. It felt great.”

Griffin shoots with the Aslan Archery Academy, located near his hometown of Highland Ranch, Colorado. The academy prepares all levels of archers, from recreational shooters to those competing in international competitions. As one of the nation’s top fixed pin compound bow archers and recognized by the USAT as the second-best fixed pin archer for the under 18 division for the 2024 outdoor season, Griffin is known as a consistent archer.

“I started shooting in local leagues in 2019,” Griffin said. “The United States Archer Team puts together the five best archers in each age division. There are also bow categories. There are recurve bows, bare bows, compound bows and the (compound) fixed pin categories. I am in the fixed pin category.”

This allows him to use sights in the form of pins attached to his bow. Once competition begins, he is not allowed to adjust these sights.

“In every other division, archers can adjust their sights whenever they would like,” Griffin said. “Even in the Olympics you’ll see archers adjusting their sights. The moment we start our rounds, we must lock our pins in place. Since I am shooting the same distance at competitions, I only use one pin.”

Compound bows are a technical upgrade to traditional bows. Many sportsmen and hunters alike prefer compound bows due to their speed and accuracy. Compound bows are often constructed of strong, flexible and light human-made materials. Fiberglass, aluminum or carbon fiber can all be found in these bows, as these materials allow for increased performance and lighter weight.

Using a mechanical pulley and cam system, compound bows are thought of as being more accurate than traditional bows. With the pulley system, the bow requires less strength to hold when fully drawn, providing additional time to aim. With less fatigue to the archer, the archer has more time to align single shots on target, and shooting is more consistent throughout a tournament. “

This gives the user more consistent power,” Griffin said. “It generally makes the bow better by increasing speed through energy efficiency.”

Compound bow s usually have a higher draw weight – the force measured in pounds to pull the bow to full draw length – than traditional bows. This allows for a straighter trajectory at a greater distance, increasing both speed and accuracy of the arrow to the target.

Griffin took up the sport by seeing his father practice in the backyard of his home while preparing for hunting season. Together, they thought it would be a great way to spend time as a father and son. He has been shooting for as long as he can remember. Griffin has been involved in the sport competitively since the age of 12.

“I shoot in part because it is a connection with my dad,” Griffin said. “It’s also something I feel I can work at to get better and better. I keep improving.”

To continue to be ranked among the best in the nation, Griffin spends hours practicing. He practices at least three times a week for two and a half hours per session. Griffin shoots at least 100 arrows during practice and spends additional time maintaining his equipment, such as re[1]fletching worn arrows.

Griffin’s sport has become a family affair. His parents, Monica and Todd, take turns taking him to tournaments around the nation.

“My family supports me a ton,” Griffin said. “It’s hard on them, but at least one person travels with me to each tournament. The first few tournaments were dad, then it was mom. My grandpa has taken me to Florida. My brother came to support me at nationals.”

Monica is excited that her son is doing so well at the national level.

“It is exciting to see him do so well. Archery is something that he really loves,” Monica said. “I like to see him work hard and push himself to improve. Academics come naturally to Griffin, but this is something that he has to really work for, and it has taught him some very beneficial life lessons.”

As he ages out of his under 18 division, Griffin sees himself competing collegiately. Currently in four Advanced Placement (AP) classes, he dreams of pursuing a career in the archery field.

“Competing as a professional would be really cool,” Griffin said. “But I am also interested in designing bows and the engineering that goes into them. I am looking to go to school at Texas A&M. They arguably have the best archery program. Texas A&M also has a nationally acclaimed engineering program. They are one of the few colleges to send an archer to the Olympics this year.”

While his family is the main contributor to Griffin’s success, he has received some help from the Chickasaw Nation. He is a recipient of the annual Chickasaw Nation Activities Grant that helps with school[1]aged children in after[1]school activities. He is also a member of the Chickasaw Honor Club, which provides monetary incentives for good grades. He and his siblings also use the annual school clothing grant.

Griffin said he receives his Chickasaw heritage from his mother, and his father also brings Muscogee blood into the family line. As a Chickasaw citizen, Griffin’s First American heritage is important to him. Honoring his roots is a way to honor his family. His Chickasaw family can be traced back to a homestead in the Newcastle area.

“My Chickasaw heritage is a way to connect with my grandpa,” Griffin said. “It’s also just part of who I am. It’s quite literally in my blood.”

Monica believes her family is connected to the tribe, even though they live outside of Chickasaw Nation treaty territory.

“My dad, Richard Burket, is currently serving as the treasurer of the North Texas Chickasaw Community Council,” Monica said. “While most of my (tribal) information comes from my dad, the Chickasaw Nation does reach out to us as well. We have (Chickasaw) events close to us in the Denver area. We receive the newspaper, and my dad goes to the annual Chickasaw Elders (Conference). We are plugged-in in many ways.”

“In 2018, we had a family reunion in Oklahoma,” Monica said. “It was really cool because we stayed at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center. We were able to go to the (Chickasaw) Cultural Center with all my kids.”

“I loved that weekend,” Griffin said. “The cultural center was great. It was good to spend time there, and it was interesting. I didn’t know all that much about my heritage up until that point. There are many people, including myself, who would have no idea how we lived. It represents how our ancestors lived, better than a textbook can.”

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