Returning for a sixth straight year, nearly 1,000 flooded to the Owensboro Convention Center this past weekend for the 2026 S3DA Eastern Indoor Championship. A four-day competition, kids from 6-18 were split into four age groups that included Junior Eagle, Eagle, Youth, and Young Adult.
“It’s really awesome having the event in Owensboro,” S3DA Social Media Marketing Coordinator Kayla Bolton said. “We have been here for the last six years, and our attendance is picking up again. We will have approximately 3,000-5,000 people here this weekend.”
Over the four days, 240 archers competed at a time, shooting two total rounds. Each round is made up of six ends of five arrows, for a possible perfect score of 150 with 30 Xs.
Owensboro Archery Club held off Pine Hill Prodigies by one point to win the Youth Team event, while they finished second in Young Adult, and were fourth in Eagle. For the individual winners, Emersyn Potter and Avery Jackson both landed on the podium, finishing second and third in their respective age groups.
Also representing the Owensboro area was the Daviess County Archery Club, who placed 10th in Eagle and 15th in Youth, and Owensboro Catholic finishing 16th in Youth. Archers from Trinity High School were also in attendance.
Starting the season with six archers and growing to 29, Daviess County Archery Club Coach Dale Heavner was pleased with his team’s improvement.
“I’m really happy with watching children go from never shooting a bow in November, coming to a National Championship at the end of February, and being able to have their composure,” Heavner said. “To be able to go out there and shoot scores between 120-140.”
