On Valentines Day, Cupid had serious competition with the Mineral County 4-H Archery program proudly hosting its first annual archery tournament, and by all accounts, it was a tremendous success. 

Archers competed in four age divisions (9–10, 11–12, 13–14 and 15–19) and six bow classes: Primitive, Bare Bow, Olympic Recurve, Limited, Unlimited and Bow Hunter. Competitors shot at 10 meters on a 10-ring target, completing 10 ends of three arrows each for a possible perfect score of 300. 

Using the Bow Score app, results were entered and updated in real time, allowing archers, parents and spectators to follow the action throughout the day. 

Nearly 50 participants registered for the event, and because many archers competed in multiple bow classes, the tournament recorded approximately 95 “line times” which was a strong turnout for the program’s first year hosting. Tables throughout the school were filled with bows, arrows and gear, highlighting both the enthusiasm of the competitors and the importance of having plenty of space for the event. 

The tournament welcomed 4-H archers from Mineral, Lake, Ravalli, Flathead, Silver Bow, Gallatin, Granite and Missoula counties. Superior School District Superintendent Logan Labbe and Elementary School Dean of Students Byron Quinlan welcomed the event into the school and were happy to allow the 4-H group to use the Elementary Gym and school facilities. 

Mineral County’s own 4-H archery program includes 10 participants ages 9–16 and is led by volunteer coaches Rusty Parkin and Chris Loraas. Parkin, who has coached for the past 12 years, served as Range Master for the event. The group practices twice weekly from December through mid-March at the Mineral County Shooting Sports Association building. 

Throughout the season, participants travel across Montana for weekend competitions and will attend the State Competition in Bozeman on March 7 and 8. Archers competing in top bow classes also have the opportunity to qualify for the national competition in Nebraska which was an honor achieved last summer by Mineral County 4-H Archer Jimmi Kelly in the Olympic Recurve category.

Tournament coordination was led by Lorie Cotter, who modestly described herself as "just a volunteer mom who wanted to put on a great tournament for the kids and coaches," she said with a smile, moving between archers and parents with targets in one hand and doughnuts in the other. “It is a good turnout. There is a lot of gear, so having space within the school for all the competitors’ bows is very nice.” 

While the MCSSA building is home to regular practices, additional space and larger bathroom facilities made the gymnasium in the Superior Elementary School an ideal venue for the growing event. 

“There’s a lot of legwork to put the shoot on,” said Lorie’s husband Chris. “We have a good group of parents who are driven to see it come together, along with great community support.”

That support was evident throughout the tournament. The program expressed sincere thanks to the local sponsors who helped make the event possible: Darlow’s Quality Foods/ACE, Superior Color & Lumber, Superior Meats, Kuhl Dynamics, Burnout Woods, White Resources Group, Inc., Mineral County Rec Club, Branch Built LLC, Buffy Kelly Insurance, TrailWest Bank, Knife River, Twin Creek Creations, Classy B’s Giftshop, Hello Beautiful Salon, Crabb Quest Travel, Mineral County Shooting Sports Association, Superior Auto Body, 5-Valleys Archery, Riverside Soups & Sandz and Alberton Feed. Chris noted that the strong backing from the community and the ongoing support of the MCSSA have helped the program grow stronger each season. Throughout the day, the true highlight was the enthusiasm of the young archers.

Cooper Patterson of Missoula helped with scoring and explained how the real-time system works.

“We use our phones and score after every round on the Bow Score app. After 10 rounds, they get a total score. It makes the event more time efficient.”

Twelve-year-old Otto Loraas, who is the son of Lorie and Chris, now in his fourth year of 4-H archery, had high praise for the day’s Range Master. 

“Lots of Range Masters like to yell. And he doesn’t yell,” Otto said of Parkin. 

Otto shoots both compound and recurve; in fact, if it has a string, he’s ready to try it. 

Bess Baker of Alberton, who has been shooting for about four years, was preparing to compete in the Bow Hunter class. 

“It’s fun and I get to hang out with my friends and make new ones,” she said. 

With her dad and two brothers also involved in archery, she’s looking forward to trying big game hunting this season. Fourteen-year-old Kanyon Lofts, who joined the program just a couple of months ago, said she’s already hooked. 

“I’m loving it. It’s just so exhilarating and I get to meet new friends and people.” 

She was competing in the Bare Bow class. Rye Spence, a fifth grader at Superior Elementary and first-year archer, said the most challenging part is 'trying to get a good group," but quickly added, “It’s pretty fun because you get to hang out and you laugh a lot.” 

He explained that his dad gave him a starter bow when he was younger, and after moving to the area, he was excited to discover the local archery program. Lofts may have had the best introduction to the sport story of all. 

“Actually, my friend Bess right here invited me, so I joined,” she said, giving her friend a big hug.

From seasoned competitors to first-year archers, the day reflected what 4-H is all about — skill-building, sportsmanship, friendship and strong community support. With such a successful first tournament behind them and plans to add a 3D competition next year, Mineral County 4-H Archery is clearly on target for continued growth.

    Kanyon Lofts embraces teammates Bess Baker and Rye Spence who are all members of the Mineral County 4-H Archery Team. The three were competing in the tournament Saturday at the Superior Elementary School Gymnasium. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)