John McDonald Serves as Mississippi College Archery Coach

MC archery team

Mississippi College archer John Stanford turned in a solid performance to finish fourth best in the USA at the 2019 collegiate championships.

A Water Valley, Mississippi resident, Stanford was part of an awesome MC team staying on target at the recent national tournament in Ohio. Another noteworthy moment was the Blue & Gold’s women archers knocked out UCLA. Every member of the MC archery team placed at the event.

John Allen McDonald, Jr. coached the MC team to success at the nationals several weeks ago. The Tylertown resident was recently named to lead the Choctaws archery squad during the entire 2019-20 season.

McDonald takes charge of another strong Mississippi College team starting next season. Stanford returns as a junior. Another terrific archer, Bradford Sauls of New Haven, Illinois will be back for his senior year this Fall.

Administrator Jim Turcotte, who oversees MC’s outdoors sports programs, is delighted to welcome McDonald aboard.

“John brings more than 30 years of experience to the college,” Turcotte said.

Career highlights include serving as the Copiah Lincoln Community College archery instructor from 2015 to 2018. A certified coach and judge, McDonald represents Mississippi in the U.S. Collegiate Archery Association.

A native of Jackson, McDonald is a 1982 Forest Hill High graduate. He’s a 1988 graduate of Delta State University with a bachelor’s degree in music. John earned his master’s in education at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999.

McDonald joins the Mississippi College family with other remarkable talents. He’s a longtime Mississippi high school band director. He recently served as band director with Lawrence County High School in Monticello. He founded the archery program of the Lawrence County schools. And they are six-time state archery champs.

McDonald remains passionate about the Olympic sport of archery. Archery teams are popping up all over the Magnolia State. Some fielding teams are as nearby MC as the Clinton High Arrows. Archery is considered one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports. A 2015 survey showed there are more than 21.6 million Americans participating, including 4.7 million women and girls.

John’s got Mississippi College connections. His mom, the late Agnes McDonald, is an MC graduate. His dad, John McDonald, is a Jackson resident.

At Mississippi College, McDonald will wear two hats. He will serve as assistant director of the Christian university’s Marching Band. Duncan Goff will be its new director. The student group will add marching to their performances at Choctaws football games.

“He will spend part of his time helping to develop a marching band, and the remaining time developing our archery program,” Turcotte said.

McDonald will play a visible role recruiting students to both organizations at Mississippi College.