Taking aim: Flathead Valley native makes name for herself in professional archery

When Emily McCarthy steps up to the target she only has a minute to assess her shot before pulling back on her bow and firing.  

During those 60 seconds, she’s processing a multitude of information including judging the distance to the target, how the wind might impact the path of the arrow and how much risk to take in her shot placement. McCarthy, a Flathead High School graduate who lives in Wisconsin, is a professional archer who competes for the Mathews Archery team.  

A top competitor in unknown-distance 3D archery, which requires her to not only shoot her bow well but to accurately judge the distance to the targets. She says 3D archery is a lot about making the right decisions at the right moment while playing out the different scenarios in her head.