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The 9th annual Eastern S3DA Indoor National Championship was held this past weekend on February 29th – March 3rd, at the Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, Kentucky. Nearly, 1,000 youth archers from 126 teams across 17 states met at the convention center all vying for their shot at being named the national champion in their respective division and class. The competition was fiercely contested, with 156 archers shooting one clean round (150) and 76 of those archers shooting a clean (300). Thomas Quinlan from MSU Demmer Center Spartans in Michigan S3DA shot in the Young Adult Male Open Class and completed the event with a clean sweep of both rounds shooting a 300 with a 60 X count.
Central Kentucky Nock Busters Coach, Mike Esch said, “It is amazing to see the growth in the number of archers each year. Being a range official, I get to see all of the emotions that these kids go through from their first arrow to their last. Seeing all the smiles and laughter and watching these kids encourage each other makes me really proud to be a part of this organization. Sometimes you can see an archer hit a four or blank a target and they will instantly get upset with themselves. Then, you will see other archers talking and consoling them, telling them to not think so much about their score, but just have fun. You truly don’t get to see the level of sportsmanship displayed in other sports like you do in archery. We teach our kids that winning is great, but it’s not everything, and the sport of archery is more than just hitting the bullseye. We want these kids to not only learn how to balance and focus, but we want them to hit the mark in life, by teaching them valuable life skills that extend far beyond the target.”
Holly Helton, S3DA Executive Director stated, “It is always a delight to host the Eastern Indoor National Championship in Owensboro, Kentucky. The entire staff at Visit Owensboro and the Owensboro Convention Center work diligently alongside our volunteers to ensure a seamless event. The growth of spectators this year in attendance is a testament to the impact these young archers have! Everyone enjoyed an extended weekend full of competitive shooting, visiting with friends, interacting with our college and industry booths, and overall having a great time! We are thankful for the entire group of amazing volunteers and staff it requires to host an event of this magnitude and we look forward to seeing all our families at the next National Championship!”
Several collegiate archery program coaches attended the event to recruit and speak with archers. Young Adults who podiumed were presented with thousands of dollars in scholarship opportunities from various colleges and universities. Vendors attending the event and marketing to the large crowds of archers and spectators were Lancaster Archery Supply, Bohning, and G.A.S. Bowstrings (all National S3DA Sponsors), as well as AEP (Arrow Engineering Products), B3 Archery, Clear Targets, Heavner’s Trainer X, and Patriot Archery.
Owensboro Convention Center, which is a top-tier convention center, and a must-see business hub will be home to the 2025 S3DA Indoor National Championship. For more information regarding upcoming events, please be sure to visit https://www.s3da.net/.
Contact the Scholastic 3-D Archery National Office at:
410 Sycamore Street, Williamsburg, KY 40769
Ph: 606.524.3685