Cardinal archers claim third straight state championship

DES MOINES ? The Cardinal archery program left Des Moines holding two more state titles and a new state record following the 2012 Iowa championships Friday and Saturday.

The Cardinal varsity squad won its third state championship Saturday, and Austin Cloke earned the individual middle school boys? state championship with a score of 288.

At the high school level, the Comets scored a state record 3316 to eclipse their championship-winning score of 3260 in 2011. Montgomery Laughlin was the Comets? top scorer, tallying 288 points to win the Senior Boys? $1,500 College Scholarship.

Other top scorers for the varsity squad were Chelsie McClellan and Schylar Conger, who placed second and third, respectively, in the high school girls? division with 281 points apiece.

Led by Cloke, the Cardinal middle school archers shot a season-best 3162 to place third in the team race. Shelby Smith finished fourth in the middle school girls? division with a score of 274, while Cheyanne Fenton took fifth among middle school girls with 272 points.

In elementary-level competition, the Comets shot a season-best score of 2621. Jacob Stiles led the Comets with 271 points.

The Comets, now in the program?s fifth season, will again make the trip to the 2012 National Tournament hosted by the National Archery in the Schools Program. The program will be looking to improve on last season?s 13th place finish when it competes against the nation?s best May 11-12 in Louisville, Ky.