Bahamas native Archer wraps up CTC track career, looks forward to next step

(Marietta, Ga. – March 15, 2011) – Chattahoochee Tech track athlete Andrew Archer officially finished up his eligibility as a Golden Eagle at the March 4-5 NJCAA National Indoor Meet at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tex. But that doesn’t mean the 22-year-old Bahamas native is done as a collegiate runner, or as a contributor to the CTC program.

Archer ended his junior college eligibility by posting a school-record time of 50.21 in the 400 meter dash at the March 4-5 national meet, breaking his own mark set earlier in the indoor season. Though he cannot compete officially during the spring outdoor schedule, which begins for CTC on March 24 at Emory University, Archer will travel with the team to several meets as an unattached runner in order to gain more exposure to four-year programs. He also will maintain his leadership role with the team through the school year.

“I’ll still train with the team,” says Archer. “Any practices and team meetings, I’ll be there because I’m still the team captain.”

In 2006, Archer finished a distinguished prep track career in Nassau, Bahamas at St. Anne’s High School, specializing in the 200 meters and 400 meters and competing on the country’s top 4x400 relay team. After taking several years off from school and competitive running, Archer made the move stateside to live with an uncle in Stone Mountain.

He knew he wanted to study graphic design, and found CTC’s program a good fit. Realizing that his ability on the track could help him earn a scholarship, he approached head coach Steve Prettyman and assistant Patrick O’Brien about a spot on the team. Archer started competing as a walk-on in the spring of the 2008-09 school year during the outdoor season, but quickly earned a scholarship before the next fall, when he also was named a captain.

During Archer’s Golden Eagles career, the five-year-old program has gained a dedicated weight room and has become increasingly competitive on the national junior college scene.

“I have seen a lot of improvement and it’s happened so fast,” Archer says. “Because of how quick the team grew and how quick everybody got better, I see potential for more improvement. I really think we can be up there with all those big junior college teams, but we have to keep growing.”

The number of men’s and women’s track and field athletes has increased as well during Archer’s time at CTC, and according to Prettyman, will be at just under 30 combined heading into the outdoor season. Mirroring the growth of the Golden Eagles program, Archer has improved steadily and, Prettyman says, “is just now coming into his own” as a collegiate runner.

“Over the past two-plus years, he’s really grown maturity-wise, strength-wise, and as a team leader.”

Now Archer’s task is to parlay his success at CTC into a continued career at a four-year institution, hopefully somewhere close by, he says. He and the coaching staff currently are working overtime to ensure that opportunity.

“There’s always a cooperation between us and the four-year coaches,” Prettyman says. “There’s not only performance, but are they a team player, are they ambitious, are they easy to coach? Those aspects are always taken into consideration by the schools in addition to just performance.”

Archer fits the mold. A well-rounded student-athlete who has been involved with CTC’s International Club, he will choose his next destination not only on the merits of its track program, but on its academics as well. The school will have to offer a top-notch opportunity to further his knowledge in his true calling: graphic design.

“I love track, but graphics is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he says.