Recap: 2026 SDAA State Target Championships
August 15, 2026 • Hosted by NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center • Yankton, South Dakota
The 2026 South Dakota Archers Association (SDAA) State Target Championships were held on August 15, 2026, in conjunction with the NFAA Midwest Sectionals. The event featured 25 archers from across South Dakota, with archers from Minnesota also participating in the sectional competition.
The State Target Championships used the Classic 600 Round format. Archers shot four ends of five arrows at three distances, beginning with the closest distance and progressing to the longest.
The shooting distances were:
- Cub: 10, 20 and 30 yards
- Youth: 30, 40 and 50 yards
- Young Adult, Adult and Senior: 40, 50 and 60 yards
The day began with cool conditions that provided favorable shooting weather. By the final distance, light drizzle began and the wind picked up, creating more challenging conditions as archers completed their rounds. Shorty Faber served as the judge for the event, overseeing competition throughout the day.
The event produced strong scores across multiple divisions. Colin Healy recorded the highest South Dakota score, shooting 585 to win the Freestyle Adult Men division. Dan Button finished second in the division with 571, while Travis Van Santen placed fourth with 548.
In Freestyle Young Adult Men, Simyn Poirier won with a score of 564, while Cruise Wheelhouse won the Freestyle Youth Men division with 542. Anya Jonas won the Freestyle Young Adult Female division with 539.
The Freestyle Limited Recurve division was also represented, with Clare Maness winning the Freestyle Limited Recurve Adult Female division with a score of 442.
The Bowhunter Freestyle divisions also produced competitive scores. Martin Verheul of Minnesota won the Bowhunter Freestyle Young Adult Men division with 565, while David Frey won the Bowhunter Freestyle Adult Men division with 548.
Other division winners included Izaiah Groenewold, who scored 518 in Men's Bowhunter Adult; Emily Brandt, who scored 546 in Women's Bowhunter Adult; and Nicole Schmitz, who scored 532 in Women's Bowhunter Adult.
The SDAA State Target Championships provided South Dakota archers with an opportunity to compete for state honors while sharing the range with competitors from Minnesota during the NFAA Midwest Sectionals. The combination of state and sectional competition brought archers together for a full day of target archery under changing weather conditions.