ANDREW Randall and Glen Croft will be hoping to take the first of three steps to the Olympics on March 31.

They will be among the 12 top archers in the country who will gather at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall for a Team GB selection shoot after receiving their invitations this week.

"Six will go through to the next selection shoot and there will be one more shoot after that to decide the eventual three-man team for London, plus one reserve," said Randall, 19, a member of the Derwent Bowmen Archery Club in Matlock.

Randall's rise gathered pace in 2011 when he finished second in the men's recurve at the final of the National Series at Speke Hall in Liverpool.

One of his most notable scalps was Olympian Larry Godfrey, who was comfortably beaten 6-2 and subsequently had to settle for bronze in the third-place match.

Now London is his goal, with Croft, 21, planning a route there too.

Croft, a member of Burton Bridge Archers, is currently 10th in the national rankings, although he reckons 2012 could be a Games too soon for himself and Randall.

"We're both in quite a similar position where perhaps 2016 is a more realistic goal," said Croft.

"Many archers don't hit their best years until they are in their 30s but we're both going to give it our best shot.

"Last year, I finished fourth at a selection shoot for the 2011 World Cup stage in Croatia, which was a great boost.

"Only three get selected for the Olympics, so selection will be even tighter, but that was a big breakthrough for me to go to Croatia."

Both train at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall – Randall attending every Wednesday, while Croft is there Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Randall's routine is more complicated because he is also balancing studying music at the University of Nottingham.

"I study on Monday and on Tuesday, then on Tuesday evening I drive up to Birmingham in the rush hour to spend the night at Lilleshall," Randall added.

"I am only in my first year at Nottingham, so I can get away with missing some of the lectures at this time.

"I've been training with the GB coach, Lloyd Brown, for almost two years, getting my technique up to scratch, doing lots of gym work and other cardiovascular stuff, as well as mental practice, because the sport is a real head game.

"It's about trying to be as proficient as possible and getting the biomechanics right.

"Lloyd encourages you to be as aggressive as you can be and to trust yourself over other people.

"After the day at Lilleshall, it's a case of driving back to Nottingham as well as finding time to practice at my local club.

"And once the outdoor season begins in May, then there will be even more travelling, as sometimes we go to tournaments up in Scotland or all the way down in Exmouth."

Croft added: "During my three days at Lilleshall, I see the national coach, a physio, a strength and conditioning coach and a sports psychologist. All the resources are there to help you.

"The higher up you go in any sport, the more important the psychological side becomes and how you handle the pressure, mentally.

"It's a case of learning skills to cope with that pressure.

"With a sport like archery, it's about remaining calm."