LAD Archery returns to St. Clair for a second straight year of lessons. The eight-week program yielded 60 intrigued archers with many returning to take aim once more.
For the second year in a row, the thud of arrows hitting targets echoed through the gym as LAD Archery returned to teach 60 eager Cyclone archers how to nail a bullseye.
Following a highly successful inaugural year that saw 68 participants, both LAD Archery and St. Clair Community Ed sprung at the chance to bring the eight-week program back for another round at the range. The 2026 season officially kicked off on Sunday, January 11, with 60 students registered across three distinct age groups: Grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. The program runs on Sundays through March 1, with 45-60 minute sessions scheduled between 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm.
This program is a collaborative effort, organized in part by archery enthusiast Chris Blegen. While lead instructor and archery superstar Caitlin Griffin was away on opening night competing in a tournament in Indianapolis, the sessions remained in capable hands. Volunteers from LAD Archery including Blegen, Mark Quast, and a man named Ryan stepped in to guide these budding Robin Hoods through the fundamentals and safety of handling a bow, drawing back an arrow, aiming at the target before releasing in hopes of a successful hit. The gym floor was meticulously marked with tape to denote 5, 10, 15, and 20-yard distances.
It was reported about 60% of the total participants were returning to the program for their second year, though there were plenty of young faces eager to learn. LAD Archery provided a steady supply of bows, but a handful of Cyclones arrived with their own professional-grade gear, including compound bows, quivers, and wrist slings.
One standout performer, Mason Evers, impressed instructors early on. Sporting a full quiver belt and specialized bow attachments, Evers displayed remarkable focus, nailing a bullseye and maintaining a tight three-shot grouping from 10 yards. Despite his individual success, he remained a team player, patiently waiting for his fellow archers—including his younger brother, Ethan—to finish their rounds. Other students showed early promise as well: Eli Janike found the mark with two bullseyes while Silas Reese nearly split the center with a dead-on bullseye. There were some first-time jitters for two rookie archers, Brantley Bennet and Brynlee Jerdee, who worked diligently with instructors to overcome the initial learning curves of hand placement and stance.
As the students pulled their final arrows and reloaded their quivers at the end of the night, the energy remained high. Many students left vowing to increase their bullseye frequency by the time the course concludes in March. Upon Griffin’s return from her competition, the lessons are expected to ramp up in difficulty as the next two months will challenge these young archers to master not just their aim, but the focus and determination required to excel in the sport.
The Journal plans to return to the final class on March 1 which promises to test the eagle-eye accuracy of even the best archers with moving targets, farther distances, and much more.
