H.S. ARCHERY: WAVERLY QUALIFIES SCHOOL-RECORD 12 FOR STATE TOURNAMENT (9 PHOTOS) (March 19, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
WAVERLY — The Waverly Archery team is heading to the state tournament March 13 in Syracuse in a big way after an impressive qualifying season that saw a school-record 12 student archers earn spots through three highly-competitive qualifier tournaments.

Easton Beach, a reigning state champion, qualified number one in the state. 

First-year archer Quinten Ray qualified sixth out of 93 archers in the 4th- and 5th-grade boys division, while senior Ava Witman qualified eighth out of 167 archers in the 9th to 12th-grade female division. 

Nine other archers —  Preston Besemer, Gabe Cole, Skyler Decker, Erik Lee Holmstrom II, Jason Millage, Sophia Nierstedt, Riley Sindoni, Rebecca Stoddard, and Helena Zimmer — qualified and will be competing at States.

"Throughout the qualifying stretch, Waverly archers demonstrated consistency, focus, and steady improvement," said a Waverly coach. 

"Competing against schools from across the state, the team faced pressure-packed environments, where every arrow counted," noted the coach. "By the end of the third qualifiers, a dozen Waverly students had met or exceeded the required scores to advance to the state level — a milestone achievement for the program."

"Preparation and practice pays off as Waverly archers delivered strong performances across all three tournaments rather than relying on a single standout event.

"This group showed up every time,” added the coach. "Qualifying across multiple tournaments shows their consistency and commitment. They’ve earned this opportunity."

Waverly archers will be getting ready for the State 3D Tournament in Chemung March 1, along with staying focused on the state tournament March 13 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. 

"The archery team is focused on fine-tuning its skills and maintaining confidence," said a coach. "Regardless of the final results, the season has already marked a significant accomplishment for the program and its student athletes.

"The 12 qualifiers represent a range of grade levels and experience, highlighting the depth of the Waverly archery program and its growing culture of success," added the coach. "Team members who did not qualify also played a key role by supporting teammates and contributing to a competitive, encouraging environment."

The qualifying tournaments were held in Norwich, Arkport, and Chemung.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF REBECCA STODDARD.

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