Sean Pianca is shooting his way to the top.
Archery
IT SEEMS nobody can stop the rise of Griffith archery prodigy Sean Pianca - not even his own father.
The 15-year-old, who was last month crowned the city's Overall Sportsperson of the Year, has once again earned rave reviews for his performance in another high-profile tournament.
Competing in his new cadet boys division, Pianca took gold in the FITA900 event at the Warringah Open in Sydney earlier this month with a score of 829.
He also took out the elimination matchplay round - which included the entire field of archers at the tournament - winning 12 games in a row and outclassing his father Mark in the semi-finals on the way.
Given the wild, wet and windy conditions on hand and the high level he is shooting at for his age, there is no telling where Pianca's ceiling in the sport is, said Archery NSW vice-president Andrew Crampton.
"People don't realise just how much promise this guy has got because archery is such a small sport," he said.
"If he was achieving at this level in rugby league or cricket or football he'd be a household name.
"He was beating guys who have more years of experience in archery than he's been alive.
"Everything, including the weather, was against him but he's got some very good concentration, which is greatly improving week by week."
Pianca has already qualified for October's World Youth Championships in Wuxi, China, and it is not beyond the youngster to imagine that tournament as the moment he makes a name for himself on the international stage.
"What he's doing at 15 is unbelievable," Crampton said.
"His potential, really, is unlimited."
