Alpena High School claimed first place at the Archery in the Schools state championship in the Hot Springs Convention Center and Bank OZK Arena earlier this month.
The school's top 12 archers posted a score of 3,358 out of a possible 3,600 points.
The feat completed their steady climb to the top of Arkansas's high school archery ranks, besting their second-place score of 3,276 last year and their third-place finish of 3,250 points in 2022.
Valley Springs High School took second place with 3,315 points, narrowly surpassing Bryant High School, who fell one arrow short and claimed the number three spot in the High School Division. Last year's champion, Bergman High School, finished fourth with a score of 3,294, and Taylor High School rounded out the top spots in the High School Division with a fifth-place score of 3,290.
Aimee Swaim, interim Archery in the Schools coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said the level of competition throughout the two-day event was markedly higher than last year, noting that four of the top five high school teams completed their day with scores that would have claimed first place only a year ago.
El Dorado's Barton Junior High took first place in the Middle School Division for the second year in a row, scoring 3,293 total points during Friday's competition. Taylor Middle School took second place with a score of 3,277. Charleston Middle School finished third with a score of 3,222.
Taylor Elementary claimed the first-place trophy in the Elementary Division by the narrowest of margins, scoring 3,041, only one point higher than second-place finisher Valley Springs Elementary's 3,040-point score. Charleston Elementary took the third-place spot in the Elementary Division with a score of 3,028.