As she let her final arrow of day one go, Owensboro Archery Club’s Avery Jackson knew that she had just achieved perfection.
With the pack at her heels, Jackson didn’t cave to the pressure, instead the 11-year-old announced her presence at the Kentucky S3DA Indoor State Championship for the Eagle division – shooting a career best and setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.
“I was feeling pretty good knowing that I shot my best score and a perfect score,” Jackson said. “So, I knew not many people could catch up to me.”
On day two, she once again flirted with perfection, this time hitting 26 of the 30 Xs – securing her a state title and the Shooter of the Year award for the Eagle Division.
Jackson’s path to a state championship title began in 2023 when she first started archery at the age of eight. Quickly finding a knack for the sport, Jackson worked her way up the ranks, falling just short of her lofty goals a year ago.
Unfazed and motivated, Jackson dominated the 2026 3DSA Indoor season, winning every regional tournament she attended. Arriving at State, it was first place or bust and she finished shooting 300/300 and 56 of a possible 60 Xs.
“I felt relieved that I finally got it,” Jackson said. “I was nervous, but once I shot my best score, I knew I was probably going to win. It also feels pretty good to know that I am the best in Kentucky at my age group.”
Jackson wasn’t the only member of the Owensboro Archery Club to win some hardware last weekend, with Keely Sanders winning both the State Championship and Shooter of the Year for the Youth Division.
“There were a couple others that were on the podium,” Krystal Jackson, Avery’s mom, said. “Our Eagle and our Youth teams both brought home first place, and our Young Adult team finished second in the state.”
It is a quick turnaround for Jackson and the Owensboro Archery Club as the 2026 S3DA Eastern Indoor National Championship is just two weeks away. Once again, Nationals will be hosted at the Owensboro Convention Center, this time from Feb. 26- March 1.
