Submitted Photo Pierce County 4-H archery team member Jaxon Heilman poses with a target that earned him a “Robinhood” title during the season.

Eight Pierce County archers are on their way to state April 17 after placing at the top in their age and bow divisions for 4-H shooting sports.

The 2021 Indoor Championships will take place at the Nishu Archery Complex in Bismarck. The competition begins at 9 a.m.

Pierce County youth age eight to 18 are eligible to participate in the program, according to Cory Geiszler, who serves as a coach to the teams along with Chris Heilman and Steve Wentz.

Team members participate in freestyle and bare bow events.

“Bare bow is just a bow and an arrow,” Geiszler explained. “They shoot instinctively, using fingers to release. Freestyle shooters can use sights and a mechanical release.”

Sight devices can be attached to the bow and release devices can be worn on the hand pulling the bowstring.

Qualifying in the beginning bare bow competition for Pierce County were Aliyah Williams, Matt Arnston, Raegan Hager, and Levi Wentz.

Lucas Wentz and Jaxon Heilman will compete in the junior freestyle event. Mya Barker will compete in the junior bare bow event and Rylee Geiszler will compete in the senior freestyle portion of the contest.

“It sure is nice to have eight of our Pierce County 4-H Shooting Sports archers qualify for the State Tournament,” Cory Geiszler said in an email to the Tribune. “This 2020-2021 season came with some challenges. While we made the decision in late 2020 to not have a season due to COVID, because of the restrictions and protocols that were in place at the time, I am sure glad that things got better and we were able to have an almost normal season.”

Describing the season, Geiszler said, “We got started a couple weeks later than normal, but were able to have a couple months of shooting. We did have to operate a little differently. We set up time slots and did our best to spread shooters out and not have a lot of shooters there at the same time.”

“The state did have the district shoots, but at a limited capacity, allowing considerably fewer shooters at each event,” Geiszler added. “This did make it difficult for many to be able to get registered and participate in a district shoot.”

Geiszler said organizers added a virtual element to the competition.

The virtual matches “allowed us as coaches to have our kids shoot right here in Rugby. We operated it as it was a regular district event where they score each other’s targets,” Geiszler noted.

“We then worked with our county agent and scores were sent to 4-H headquarters at NDSU,” Geiszler added. “We had quite a few archers participate in regular in-person and virtual matches this winter.”

A statement from Bismarck 4-H organizers said, “Match details and registration have not been widely announced due to this match having an invitation format. We are inviting the top three individuals and four members of the top team in each district as automatic berths in the championship. We are also including the top 15 individuals in each bow and age division in the circuit. Selection was by combining the two highest scores in two district matches.”

“The State format will take their top two scores plus the score they shoot on Saturday in Bismarck at the State Match,” Geiszler said.