Magnet Cove continues dominance in archery state championship

HOT SPRINGS — For the second year in a row, Magnet Cove High School’s team put on a clinic at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Archery in the Schools State Championship on Saturday at Bank OZK Arena and Hot Springs Convention Center.

There was little doubt the Panthers were the team to beat, as high school archers from across the state lined up for the 18th annual state championship event. Magnet Cove was riding high after taking decisive victories in both the bull’s eye and 3D discipline 2025 Archery in the Schools championships. The Panthers did not disappoint Saturday, as they dominated the range to take first place with a score of 3,385 out of a possible 3,600 points. Not only were they a full 80 points ahead of their nearest competitor, Bryant High School, but they bested their own championship score from last year by 72 points.

Cash Hignight, Callan Hignight and Clayton Bates again anchored the team with top-five individual scores in the male high school division, and this year they were joined by Holly Chandler, who turned in the third-highest score in the female high school division.

Bryant’s performance also pushed well ahead of their nearest competitor, as they scored 3,305, the highest in their team’s history, to take second place. Although they did not have any shooters in the top five of the high school division, the well-rounded team continued to play a strong role in competitive archery at the high school level.

Lead Hill High School, Charleston High School and the Arkansas Arts Academy in Rogers rounded out the top five teams in the high school division.

Aimee Swaim, AIS program coordinator for the AGFC, said the tournament is the highlight of her year.

“The coaches and students work so hard all year long to get here, and you can see the excitement on their faces when they file into the arena,” Swaim said. “It takes a lot of people to put this program together, and I’m just fortunate to have such an incredible group of coaches and staff throughout the state who come together to make it happen for the kids.”

In addition to trophies, the top individual-scoring male and female archers in the high school division also received scholarships ranging from $500 for fifth place to $2,500 for first place. Magnet Cove’s Cash Hignight and Travis Cook of Lead Hill High School posted identical scores of 293 to tie for the top score, but Hignight’s score included two more arrows in the 10-ring, establishing him as the overall first-place shooter among high school males. Cook held second place, while Hignight’s younger brother Callan, took third place with a score of 291. Koen Masingale of Ozark High School and Clayton Bates of Magnet Cove also tied with scores of 290 and identical scorecards. After a brief shootout, Masingale claimed fourth place and Bates took fifth.

Ninth-grader Jasper Curington from Arkansas Arts Academy held the top spot for female high school archers with a score of 290, narrowly besting longtime favorite Maddie Johnson of Charleston High School, who finished the day in second place. Johnson actually tied Magnet Cove High School’s Holly Chandler with a score of 286, but won with one additional 10-ring score on her day’s shoot. Ruthey Franks of Ozark High School took fourth place, and Mariska Shearer of Pangburn High School and Jaeleah Nichols of Alpena High School tied for fifth. Unfortunately, both girls were unable to attend for a shootout, and Nichols was awarded the fifth-place trophy by default.

El Dorado Barton Junior High regained its first-place ranking in the middle school division this year, posting an overall score of 3,244 during Friday’s middle school and elementary championships. Valley Springs took second place with a score of 3,232. Charleston Middle School held third place with a score of 3,198.

Kaden Harris of Taylor Middle School was the top male archer in the middle school division with an overall score of 289. Alyssa Woods of Alpena was the top female archer in the middle school division, only besting Graysen Newton of Washington Middle School by a single point.

Charleston Elementary took home the first-place trophy in the elementary school division with an overall score of 2,994. Valley View Elementary finished second and Hill Farm of Bryant School District rounded out the top three schools. The top male archer in the elementary school division was Paxton Carlisle of Valley View Elementary. The top female archer in the elementary school division was Olivia Curry of Magnet Cove Elementary.

In addition to the archery competition, teams competed in a food drive organized by Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry. Salem Elementary again lapped the field on Friday, bringing in 2,344 cans of food to be donated to food banks in the Hot Springs area. Cabot High School brought in an additional 671 cans of food on Saturday.

“We received a lot of food to help the needy in Arkansas at the event, and we’re extremely grateful to all the schools who pitched in to fight food insecurity in The Natural State,” AHFH President Ronnie Ritter said. “We collected more than 7,800 total pounds of food donations during the two-day window.”

For their effort, both Salem Elementary and Cabot High School will receive $1,000 to help their archery programs.

The AGFC’s Archery in the Schools Program teaches students the sport of archery using modern compound bows that will fit a wide range of users. Teachers and other school staff learn from the AGFC’s archery instructors how to bring this sport back to their students and offer them a sport that children of nearly any size and ability are able to enjoy.

Visit www.agfc.com/ais for more information about Archery in the Schools and a complete list of team and individual scores.

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CUTLINES:

MAGNET COVE
The Magnet Cove Panthers took home their third consecutive archery win at the 2026 Archery in the Schools State Championship on Saturday. AGFC photo. 

TOP MALE ARCHERS
From Left to Right: Cash Hignight (Magnet Cove High School), Travis Cook (Lead Hill High School), Callan Hignight (Magnet Cove High School), Koen Masingale (Ozark High School), Clayton Bates (Magnet Cove High School).

TOP FEMALE ARCHERS
Jasper Curington (Arkansas Arts Academy), Maddie Johnson (Charleston High School), Holly Chandler (Magnet Cove High School), Ruthey Franks (Ozark High School), Jaeleah Nichols (Alpena High School)

PULLING ARROWS
More than 1900 students competed on Friday and Saturday to determine the top archers in the state. AGFC photo. 

BARTON JUNIOR HIGH
Barton Junior High in El Dorado took the top spot in the Middle School Division of the 2026 AIS State Championship on Friday. AGFC photo.

CHARLESTON ELEMENTARY
Archers from Charleston Elementary won first place in their division during Friday’s shoot. AGFC photo.