Archery State Championships held in Ririe

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) - Over 60 kids gathered at the Downwind Archery store in Ririe to compete for a chance, to be called the state champion. All the kids were aiming high and drawing on experience and support from family and friends to calm their nerves.

Thanks to the small number of competitors many of their friends were their fellow archers.

"It's the competing that makes it a little nerve wracking. But there's your friends there to calm me down and just have more fun," said Makenzie one of the archers.

"I know a lot of people here, so it's not as stressful and it's not like shooting with a bunch of strangers. So it's fun," said Samantha another one of the archers.

"The quietness and like the relaxation that you get when you're drawing the bow and stuff. Like, since you're like, here too, and I can target competing and everybody," said Korylnn another archer.

Archers participating in the event Saturday, also have many opportunities available to them besides just a chance to become a state champion archer. "At the national events they get scouted and then through our JOR program. We do USA archery events and they are they get ranked and they want to go that Olympic path. They could do that," said Alex Fisher one of the coaches for the Downwind Archery team.

Bud Robinson from Downwind Archery and a coach for their team says for many of the kids involved, should seem very similar. "What we're doing here, is this type of stuff you see on the Olympics. And so a lot of your shooters have actually come up through this type of program and there's tons of opportunity for these kids available."

Fisher adds that not only is she a coach but she is also a mom of some of the competitors. She says finding that balance was a struggle one of them was her daughter. "She's doing pretty good. She's right here. You first get on the line right there. I also have a son that competed earlier in the day, so it's fun to watch them, but hard balancing and got to coach and watch them sometimes."

Robinson adds next up for the kids is a nationals competition in a few weeks. "If they shoot a state S-3-D-A tournament, that automatically qualifies them to shoot the national tournament in the Western Nationals this year in Helena at the end of this month, 28th, 29th and 30th. So if they've shot the 3-D and, the outdoor target, it automatically qualifies them."

And many of the Shooters are not only proud of their day but hoping to move on to Nationals. "I did really well. I took second place. First place was three points ahead of me," said Samantha. She added that she'll need to practice before nationals. "just shoot. Well, practice. I need to practice and be more consistent."

Korlynn adds that she'll be reminding her parents as she prepares for nationals in a few weeks.

Makenzie adds that she is heading to nationals as well, and after placing first feels pretty confident heading into it.

Makenzie says her dad is the one that helped her get into the sport of archery. "I got into archery at a really young age, Like I had this little tiny recurve and I loved it so much and my dad just got me it. And ever since then, like, I just kind of picked up a bow and just shot it. And I took a break for a while until I saw my dad doing it and going to shoots. And I thought that was really fun. And so I started to get a bow and pick it up and just do that. And I thought it was really fun."

Korlynn shared her dad also was her inspiration for the sport. "My father had a pink bow compound, and we would go out to my grandparents and we would shoot that both my my father would help me draw it and stuff and then wanted to do it again to I can do archery hunting and compete and competing."

If you are wanting to come participate in the sport Bud adds, that he is more than happy to help people out. "If you want any more information on the program, you can contact us here at Downwind. If you're closer to the Blackfoot area, we can put you in contact with the club down there, closer to some, you know, whatever folks want to do."