Teams from several counties took top honors at the 4-H Archery Indoor Championships held recently at Nishu Bowmen Range in Bismarck.

This event is the culmination of six indoor matches across North Dakota beginning in Bismarck in January, said Adrian Biewer, North Dakota State University 4-H youth development specialist. Other matches were held in Watford City, Minot, Cando, West Fargo and Edgeley. Youth must attend at least two of these district matches to participate in the championship. The best two district scores and the score at the championship place the archers and teams.

Archers from 8 to 18 years old competed in three age divisions and two bow divisions. 4-H archers can compete in barebow and/or freestyle bow divisions.

Barebow divisions cannot use a sight. Archers shoot six sets of five arrows at a 10-ring, 80-centimeter (cm) target from 15 yards for a possible total score of 300 points. The contest for barebow is the same for all ages.

The Dickey County team of Landon Schmidt, Madeline Thorpe, Walker Miller and Drew Thorpe took first place in beginner barebow. The second place team from Pierce County was Lucas Wentz, Jaxon Heilman and Kenley Heilman. Individual beginner barebow winners were:

• First – Drew Thorpe, Dickey County, with a cumulative score of 780 out of a possible 900 points
• Second – Lucas Wentz, Pierce County, 773 points
• Third – Walker Miller, Dickey County, 749 points
• Fourth – Jaxon Heilman, Pierce County, 746 points
• Fifth – Zakai Njos, Slope County, 722 points

The Steele-Traill Counties team of Eve Thompson, Emma Gullicks, Madison Sand and Mason Knudson were the first-place junior barebow team. The Dickey County team of Shelby Miller, Mackenzie Thorpe, Paige Henningsen and Madison Anliker placed second. Individual junior barebow winners were:

• First – Rylee Suhr, Griggs County, 845 points
• Second – Eve Thompson, Steele-Traill Counties, 799 points
• Third – Shelby Miller, Dickey County, 788 points
• Fourth – Kennedy Gross, McIntosh County, 781 points
• Fifth – Emma Gullicks, Steele-Traill Counties, 774 points

The LaMoure County senior barebow team of Brennan Weiderrich, Allee Boyer, Wyatt Moch and Rhett Moch captured first place. The team of Shyanna Hovde, Hosanna Patten, Ezra Patten and Clay Ceynar from McKenzie County was second. Individual winners were:

• First – Jack Thompson, Steele-Traill Counties, 834 points
• Second – Brennan Weiderrich, LaMoure County, 821 points
• Third – Allee Boyer, LaMoure County, 816 points
• Fourth – Sydney Steiner, Hettinger County, 805 points
• Fifth – Devin Fulton, Steele-Traill Counties, 793 points

Archers in the freestyle unlimited match can use sights and a release. Beginner and junior archers shoot six sets of five arrows for a possible total score of 150. The target is a National Field Archery Association indoor 20-cm, two-ring, five-spot target or a 40-cm, five-ring, single-spot target, with the archer having a choice.

The target distance is 15 yards for beginner and junior divisions. The senior division contest requires 12 ends of five arrows for a possible score of 300 at 20 yards.

The Pierce County team of Jaxon Heilman, Lucas Wentz, Kenley Heilman and Levi Wentz placed first in beginner freestyle. The Dickey County team of Walker Miller, Drew Thorpe, Landon Schmidt and Madeline Thorpe finished in second place. Individual winners were:

• First - Jaxon Heilman, Pierce County, with 421 out of 450 possible points
• Second – Zach Estenson, Cavalier County, 413 points
• Third – Walker Miller, Dickey County, 397 points
• Fourth – Lucas Wentz, Pierce County, 397 points
• Fifth – Jayden Paul, LaMoure County, 389 points

The first-place junior freestyle team was Cutter Craig, Bennet Schuler, Kendra Boehm and Jacob Thomas from Morton County. The Dickey County team of Mackenzie Thorpe, Madison Anliker, Shelby Miller and Page Henningsen placed second. Individual winners were:

• First – Kendra Boehm, Morton County, 442 points
• Second – Karter Myers, Ward County, 438 points
• Third – Madison Anliker, Dickey County, 431 points
• Fourth - Cutter Craig, Morton County, 428 points
• Fifth – Sebastian Hayen, Logan County, 425 points

The top team in senior freestyle was the Stark-Billings team of Tail Larsen, Lane Ewald, Maddox Ewald and Tyler Brusseau. The second-place team was Caden Craig, Jenna Thompson, Dawson Mills and Rita Braun from Morton County. Individual winners were:

• First – Emily Sharp, Pembina County, with a cumulative score of 881 out of a possible 900 points
• Second – Tate Novodvorsky, Ward County, 880 points
• Third – Laryn Dees, Williams County, 871 points
• Fourth – Taik Larsen, Stark-Billings County, 866 points
• Fifth – Jenna Thompson, Morton County, 862 points

Masters division youth are senior division members who have qualified for 4-H Nationals in past years. Winners in the masters division were:

• First – Ethan Myers, Ward County, with a cumulative score of 895 out of 900 points
• Second – Ethan Sprague, Stutsman County, 889 points
• Third – Ben Niemuth, Morton County, 870 points
• Fourth – Landon Sprague, Stutsman County, 814 points
• Fifth – Shianne Boehm, Morton County, 797 points

The 4-H shooting sports program is sponsored by Scheels, a supporter of the North Dakota 4-H Foundation.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – April 22, 2019