Archery club sees success

If you walked into the Thompson Falls Junior High gym on Sundays starting the first weekend of December until the last week of April, you would be met with the sound of arrows cutting through the air, followed by the soft thump of those arrows hitting their target. You would hear the voice of archery teacher Tony Bierwagen as he lines up his next row of students.

Bierwagen is no stranger to teaching the learnings of archery, as he’s been at it for almost 30 years. The Thompson Falls archery club started in 1983, with Bierwagen joining in 1987. He said he loved the sport because it was for everyone, it wasn’t based on a skill level. When asked why he’s stayed teaching for so long, Bierwagen stated, “The friends I make, and I love building an archer from the ground up.” His current class holds over 20 students, both youth and adult.

While there are several smaller clubs that host events, there are three main events that fall under the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) that every state has, Bierwagen explained. Those include Indoor, then Target and lastly Field. This year the Indoor state championship happened in Kalispell February 24 and 25 and while Bierwagen only took a few young students, they came home with several wins. Elina Whittenburg took first place in the female Cubs group and Shelby Harmon took second place. Harmon also took first place in the sectionals competition. Sectionals is the championship for the northwest and includes six states including Montana. Contestants mail in their results. Mason Bartlett took first place for his group, with Bierwagen taking third in the men's freestyle.

Bierwagen says they host a banquet every year, and if archers shoot in all three events in that year, you earn the Triple Crown Buckle. Bierwagen is not only a Triple Crown Buckle holder but was also named 2023 Archer of the Year by the Montana Archery Association. Bierwagen has proved to be a great teacher. His dedication can be shown by the two national champs he shaped, and the 150 state champs he has helped archers earn over the years.