A Columbia Falls teen is making his mark in the field of competitive archery.

Cody Williamson, a junior at Columbia Falls High School, recently took 10th in the young adult compound bow division at the National Field Archery Association Vegas Shoot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Williamson also recently won the Montana S3DA young adult championship.

Williamson has been shooting compound bow competitively since he was 9.

He enjoys hunting, too, but not with a bow.

“I’m a rifle hunter,” he said during a recent interview.

The archery side is all business. Williamson started out shooting at 4-H events, but because of the pandemic, many of those were put on hiatus, so he started shooting in NFAA competitions.

Over the past couple of years he’s traveled across the state and the country to compete in events.

The Vegas shoot was his best, yet, he noted.

Archers typically shoot at three targets on one sheet, with a perfect score being 30.

He’s even pulled off a “Robin Hood” shot —splitting a competitor’s arrow.

The most difficult aspect of competing should come as no surprise.

“Nerves,” he said. “It has to be nerves. It’s a whole mental game.”

He likes to ease the tension of a shoot with a little humor, or thoughts about food. At one event, he joked with other competitors about waffle French fries, for example.

Williamson said he plans on traveling to several regional and national tournaments this year, includng the upcoming USA National Indoor tourney later this month and the Gator Cup in Florida to name a few.

But the one tourney he’d really like to win is Vegas, as the champion comes away with a $50,000 purse.

Williamson said he plans on joining the Navy after he graduates from high school. He wants to be a mechanic. His father, Ron, is a 24-year Navy veteran and older brothers are also veterans. He already enjoys working on cars. He works at Lower Valley Processing to help pay for his archery expenses and travel.

Folks can follow him on Facebook at @codywmtarchery. He has also set up a GoFundMe account to help defray competition expenses as well. Search for Cody Williamson.