The best school aged archers in the state are descending on the capital city for the annual Iowa National Archery in the Schools Programs state shoot. The Washington high school, middle school, and Lincoln Elementary schools each qualified their whole squad for the state tournament.

Washington head archery coach Jolleen Cerka was a guest on this week’s PM Sports Page, and the event has been moved from the Iowa Events Center to a larger location in at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Cerka added this weekend’s shoot is the qualifying meet for the national competition held in Louisville, KY in May with the top 10 teams and individual place winners will advancing to the event.

Washington’s highest ranked archers come from Lincoln Elementary school, where a pair of fifth graders are ranked in the top three statewide. Allison Rees enters the national qualifying shoot as the top elementary girls’ shooter in Iowa, recording a state-best score of 274 out of 300 during the Mount Vernon tournament on March 9. Curtis Stender heads to Des Moines with the third best elementary school score in the state, recording a 275 at the 2016 Bellevue February Tournament.

Senior Jade Wells is the only high school shooter currently in the top 10 in the state in her age division. Her season-best score of 287 was recorded twice this season and is the eighth best score in Iowa.

The first flights of the Iowa National Archery in the Schools Programs state shoot will commence at 8 a.m. and last into the evening at the Jacobson Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Listen to Monday’s KCII Sports Page for results from the state shoot.