YANKTON, S.D. – Much is on the line, and much will be decided in the coming days as the USA Archery Field Nationals and USA Archery 3D Nationals take place in South Dakota, running alongside respective U.S. Team Trials for world championships later in the year.
Both the World Archery Field Championships and World Archery 3D Championships will also be held in Yankton, so an opportunity for national titles, international selection and a glimpse at a course and conditions which may await those selected.
Open practice took place at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center on Wednesday before competition switches to the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area for Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s format will involve the archers shooting at 24 unmarked targets. On Friday, those 24 targets will be marked.
Field Nationals will feature competition in recurve, compound, barebow, longbow and traditional bow divisions, offering a true test of versatility and technical skill in a rural, outdoor environment, and returning to Yankton for the first time since 2022.
Held in conjunction with the national event will be the World Archery Field Championships U.S. Team Trials, offering athletes the opportunity to compete on the international stage.
And due to the generosity of the Lancaster Archery Foundation, each senior and U21 archer who is selected and confirms their participation at the World Archery Field Championships will receive a $500 stipend.
The recurve division this week is led by the USA’s top two archers in Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold; the latter is bidding to compete at her first World Archery Field Championships. Alex Zuleta-Visser is also in Yankton this week. She was part of the U.S. team at the 2024 edition, and brought home women’s team silver with Paige Pearce and Fawn Girard.
The men’s competition also includes Matthew Nofel, a two-time medalist at the World Field Championships, winning silver in 2022 and bronze two years ago. Ellison was the 2024 champion, adding to the individual gold medals he won in 2014 and 2016.
There is quality also in the recurve U21 category, with Abigail Kippes and Hailey Franzone fresh from some success at the Easton Foundations Salt Lake Summit. Kippes took silver in the senior division, having defeated Kaufhold in the semifinal. Franzone won gold in recurve U21 women.
Chap Post and Pierce McAdam have both been busy, also. The pair were part of the triumphant Texas A&M archers to win the Overall Team Championship at the 2026 HotelPlanner USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals. Both also competed in the senior division at Salt Lake Summit but will be battling in recurve U21 men at Field Nationals.
James Lutz and Gaius Carter are the top names featured in compound men, though Dan Jasa will be eager to qualify for a fourth World Field Championships, and Eli Hughes was a mixed team silver medalist in 2024 alongside Paige Pearce.
Pearce made it a three-peat with individual victory at the 2024 World Archery Field Championships, having won the title previously in 2018 and 2022. She is the standard in this discipline and is joined in the compound women division by international archers Madison Cox, Leann Drake, Carson Krahe and Savannah Nofel. Drake finished fourth at last month’s Salt Lake Summit, with Pearce taking silver.
Compound U21 men includes Dewey Hathaway, the silver medalist in the senior division at the recent Salt Lake Summit. Grady Kane is another experienced archer who competes in the senior division at USAT Qualifier events.
Compound U18 women team gold medalists from last year’s World Archery Youth Championships, Julia Cook and Khloe Markle, are among the archers in the U21 category.
Barebow men features the likes of Andrew Cousins, Christopher Garcia, Matt Yacca and Robby Weissinger. Yacca was a team bronze medalist at the World Field Championships in 2022. Barebow women brings out the last two Easton Foundations Gator Cup champions Erin Hollom (2026) and Ava Jones (2025), plus 50+ women gold medalist at the 2026 Pan American Youth and Masters Championships, Melissa McAvoy.
There will also U.S. Team Trials this week for the World Archery 3D Championships. And, again, those will run alongside the USA Archery 3D Nationals, which takes place on Saturday.
Reigning champion Michael Davenport returns in a larger longbow men’s division, as does Joella Bates in longbow women, while Missouri archers Cody Hasson and Steve Wagner are among those bidding for national glory in traditional men.
James Lutz is one of many archers doubling up in Yankton, with an eye on two national titles and making both U.S. teams! Others featuring at Field and 3D Nationals include Adam Winey, Douglas Prather, Grady Kane, Jason Morgan (all compound men), Aric Clements, Dante Buck, Ethan Eccles, Stephan Pleines, Tanner Boyd (all recurve men), Amy Francka, Stacy Wagner (both compound women), Andrew Cousins, Cheyenne McBride, Christopher Garcia, Harvey Oliver Jr., John Stephens, Nolan Encarnacion, Ryan Ostler, Ugochukwu Eneanya (all barebow men), Alexandra Eisner, Archana Kongara, Ava Jones, Erin Hollom, Kelly Scott, Melissa McAvoy and Nina Lopez (all barebow women).
Competitors will move through the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, shooting at lifelike foam animal targets of varying sizes, distances, heights and angles. They will have 24 unmarked 3D targets, with archers competing in barebow, compound and recurve.
Lancaster Archery Foundation is also kindly offering a $500 stipend to those in the senior division who qualify for the World Archery 3D Championships.
You can follow all the latest scores and results from Field Nationals and 3D Nationals, with photos available from both after each session.
< Back to All News
