Tom Daley

-One of the most impressive target archery careers in California Archery History-

Tom Daley started his distinguished archery career in the late 1940’s hunting small game in Central California, roaming the towns of Gustine and Newman.  He poked holes in a lot of feathered and furried creatures back then.  Tom started shooting target archery in 1962 and, much to the delight of game animals throughout the Central Valley, began poking holes in paper at an indoor range in Redwood City, CA.  Tom was the type of archer whom wasted a lot of paper.  Mostly his arrows just shot out the centers of those paper targets and left the surrounding perimeter pretty much unused.  Wasted paper.

In 1968 Tom became the State Archery Champion by winning the CBH Bare bow title at Mt. Diablo. Back then; the bare bow division was king.  The following year he defended his title in San Francisco by shooting the highest aggregate score ever in the Bare bow division. This was a time of change and advancement in archery equipment.  The release was just being introduced.  In 1970, using a release, Tom became the first person to shoot a perfect 300 at the Las Vegas Tournament.  Later that year, shooting against 1700 people, he won the biggest indoor tournament ever held, Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan.  He won it with an exciting shoot-off with Ivan Winder of Utah.

Since then, shooting in all styles from Long Bow to Pro Division, Tom has won no less than 25 California State tournaments.  In 2001 he became the first person to win all 4 State Tournaments in a row.  He has won all of the State tournaments in more than 1 style.  He has won the National Field Championships in 3 different styles and 3-D Nationals in 2 styles. He has won all the team events from Redding, Nevada City, Fresno, Conejo and the Full Draw Archery Recurve Team Shoot.  At one time or another he has won all the local shoots he has attended including Redding, Fresno Safari, Nevada City and the Maya Stick Bow Classic.  He has won Indoor and Outdoor Regionals and Sectionals.    But a big deal to Tom was that he has won the Fresno Safari in 5 decades----60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s.  Fresno Safari was at times harder to win than the Nationals.  Shooting in the bare bow class at the 2003 State Field Championships, at the age of 60, Tom shot the highest score he has ever shot and set a new State record for that style.

In addition to being an outstanding target archer, Tom is an equally accomplished bow hunter. His lists of big game animals taken include Blacktail and Mule deer (20+), elk (largest 7 by 6 measuring 312), hogs, goats Santa Cruz sheep, a 300 lb. Black bear and an Alaska caribou, (measuring 386).

Throughout the years Tom has found time in his busy winning archery tournament schedule to give exhibitions at the San Mateo County Fair, the Boy Scouts of America, various Boy’s Clubs, colleges and sports clubs.   He has taught archery in hunter safety programs and has served organized archery.  At his local club, King’s Mountain Archers, he has served as President, Range Captain and Publicity Chairman numerous times.  Tom has served as Mission Trail Bow hunters Association President, Vice President and Publicity during many terms.  Tom has served as President of CBH/SAA for 4 years and is currently seeking nomination for the NFAA directorship for the state of California.  Tom has been awarded a life membership in the King’s Mountain Archers and has been honored with a lifetime achievement award from the CBH/SAA Big Game Club.

Tom Daley is certainly he’s not the kind of guy you want to shoot next to at the local range. While Tom is the kind of guy who is able, willing and happy to help a fellow archer develop his skill, shooting next to Tom is humbling at best and threatening to one’s shooting confidence level at worst.  Tom Daley is a “winner” in the truest sense of the word.