The Georgia 4-H S.A.F.E. Program held its Annual Target Challenge Weekend for Archery on May 4-5 at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. In attendance were several local counties, including Banks, Habersham, Franklin and Jackson.
The teams compete in several divisions depending on school grade. Starting with Cloverleaf's, being fifth and sixth graders in two divisions recurve and compound, Juniors, being seventh and eighth graders in recurve and compound and Seniors , being ninth through twelfth grade in recurve and compound.
The Banks County 4-H Club Archery Team took 30 competitors to the event and brought home a first place finish in the Junior recurve division scoring 736 points out of 1080. This is the second year the Junior team has placed first at the state tournament.
Genna Langford placed fourth overall for individual score in the cloverleaf recurve division scoring 290 points.
The teams can have three or four individuals per team. The team score is derived from the top three in the group. The Junior team fielded four individuals, Dustin Fountain scored 254 points, Trey Brown scored 248 points and Lauren Parr scored 234 points for the team total of 736. Taylor Cash rounded out the team in the fourth spot scoring 116 points.
In the recurve division, Dustin Fountain placed second overall high individual, Trey Brown placed third overall high individual and Lauren Parr placed fourth overall high individual.
The Senior teams compete in FITA, field and 3D with the state winner competing at the national contest during the summer. The total score for the FITA round is 360 points, field round is 120 points and the 3D round is 120 points for and individual combined high score of 600 points. The teams can field three or four members with the top three scores counting for the tournament.
The Senior compound team took second place scoring 1496 points out of 1800. The Senior team fielded four individuals. Jonathan Clark scored 334 points on FITA, 115 points on 3D and 93 points on field, Jonathan Smith scored 290 points on FITA, 110 points on 3D and 96 points on field, Tyler Ewing scored 278 points on FITA, 90 points on 3D and 90 points on field. Joshua Holland rounded out the team shooting 278 points on FITA, 60 points on 3D and 74 points on field for the Banks County Senior Team.
Jonathan Clark placed second overall high individual in the Senior compound division scoring 542 points out of 600. Clark missed first place by six points to Lowndes Counties John Lupinek.
Individual scores for the Cloverleaf division from Banks County were Tyrese Gray 197 points, Benjamin Smith 212 points, Aurora Whitcomb 251 points, Noah Brown 126 points, Elle Smith 119 points, Aaron Cash 233 points, Ben Duckett 253 points, Hunter Queen 285 points, Garrett Stephens 320 points, John Cochran 241 points, Gatlin Lundsford 243 points, Emmett Mabry 271 points, Parker Sprayberry 289 points, Braxton Jarrett 192 points.
Individual scores for the Junior division were Will Langford 267 points and Clayton Williams 289 points. Individual scores for the Senior division were Hunter Armour 220 points, Justin Benfield 152 points, Scott Parr 259 points, Massey Langford 447 points and Beau Rush 349 points.
The following awards were given for the event. For team placing, each team was recognized with a trophy and individual members were recognized by medallion.
All other individual awards were recognized by medallion.
