To the sounds of drawstrings snapping and targets whapping, SCV Archery and the National Olympic Committee hosted the 2019 Olympic Day Saturday.

The free event, working in partnership with the city of Santa Clarita, featured everyone from beginners to experts and allowed all those in attendance to learn or practice with bows and arrows at the recently opened SCV Archery range.

“It’s a worldwide wide event that happens all over the world, and we happen to be one of the places that’s designated to be an Olympic Day,” said Ronnie Silos, president of SCV Archery. “It’s about promoting outdoor activity, getting the community to come out and try new sports, like archery, and to just go out and have fun.”

This is the first event of its kind for the Santa Clarita Valley, and Silos hopes that events like this would be able to show kids and their families the benefits to participating in archery.

Hanna Bailey takes aim during the 2019 Olympic Day held at the Santa Clarita Archery Range in Canyon Country on Saturday. | Photo: Dan Watson/The Signal.

“The way I see it is like why sports are important,” said Silos. “The work ethic that it gives you … It’s about discipline, work ethic, being outdoors, having goals and it translates to everything. Suddenly, you’re doing better in school and making the best of everything that you can.”

The event featured an elimination competition — divided into skill levels — where each contestant faced off against another archer, and three arrows would determine the highest score. One the day’s favorite to win the competition was Trenton Cowles, a 17-year-old of Los Angeles.

At the last national tournament this past weekend, Cowles won first place after beating every adult in his division. He had also won gold in Argentina at the Youth Olympics earlier this year.

“Archery is a great sport, because it teaches you patience,” said Cowles. “You can’t get good really fast, it takes a lot of work. So if you want to get good at archery, you have to come and practice.”

His coach, Rene Paguia, was in attendance at the event, not only coaching his regular students, but all those who were picking up a bow for the first time as well.

Emma Evaristo, 11, of Stevenson Ranch prepares to shoot during the 2019 Olympic Day held at the Santa Clarita Archery Range in Canyon Country on Saturday. | Photo: Dan Watson/The Signal.

“I owe a lot to archery,” said Paguia, in reference to a story he told about his son who had gotten into the sport after being diagnosed with a learning disability, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder.

His son was able to use the sport to focus himself both in the classroom and on the range, and now Paguia tries to show new, younger students the benefits of the sport.

“That is very important for me, as a sort of giving back thing to not only the community but because of my son,” he added.

During the event, families had brought picnic materials, canopies and food so that they could watch all the various competitions throughout the day.

SCV Archery’s first beginner Junior Olympic Archery Development Camp starts July 1. It runs for six weeks for two days a week, two hours per session. The classes are held from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

Classes are available for ages 9 to 20 and spots are limited to 15 archers. To view more details or to sign up, visit wscvarchery.com.