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Archers ranging from fourth to 12th grades filled the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, May 7-9, to take their shot at the 2026 Eastern National Championship for the National Archery in the Schools Program. When the last arrow was tallied and pulled from the targets, Arkansas high school archers Travis Cook and Cash Hignight stood atop the crowd.
The event, held May 7-9, was open to all students who qualified through state championship-level tournaments throughout the United States.
Cook had tied Hignight at Arkansas’s state championship events in both bull’s-eye competition and 3D competition earlier this year but fell just short in the “card-off” tiebreaker to determine a winner. He chose the right time to claim victory, triumphing in the national bull’s-eye competition, scoring a 298 out of a possible 300 points. Not to be completely outdone, Hignight followed up Cook’s championship win by scoring 299 out of 300 in the 3D competition, taking the national-level first-place award in that discipline.
“It’s been really fun watching these two young men battle back and forth all year,” Aimee Swaim, Archery in the Schools Program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. “It’s really great seeing Travis come out on top this time, so he can be recognized for his excellent shooting ability alongside Cash, who’s edged him out twice. They both work really hard and seeing them both take first place in the same national tournament is incredible. This is the first time that any Arkansan has won at this level, and we have two.”
The score of 299 posted by Hignight in the NASP 3D competition wasn’t his only amazing performance of the week.
“Cash shot in four events, and ended up with three 299s,” Swaim said. “He also participated in Centershot Archery’s Eastern National Tournament, where he scored one point from perfect in both the Bullseye and 3D disciplines, earning the top archer award in both of those events. Centershot follows all the same rules as standard NASP competitions, but it’s more of an outreach ministry program for churches and similar nonprofit organizations. The competition on that side is just as strong as the standard NASP competition, and many archers who reach this level shoot both programs.”
Neil Hignight, Cash’s father and one of the coaches for the Magnet Cove Archery Program, says Cash wasn’t the only archer in top form at the national event. His brother Callan and many other archers from Arkansas were all in top form during the competition.
“I’m excited for Cash, but Callan shot a 296 in bull’s-eye and got third place there,” Neil Hignight said. “Because their names are both ‘C. Hignight,’ they’re usually shooting side-by-side, and both of them were only one point off perfect going into their last shot in the 3D shoot; Cash finished with a 10-ring shot, and Callan actually hit the back of another arrow in the 10-ring on his target, which deflected the arrow enough to drop him out of the running.
“Obviously, I’m proud of Cash and Callan, I mean, they’re my kids, but all of our archers shot well,” Hignight said. “One of our elementary archers shot for the first time this year, and she ended up getting 13th place in the national competition. It’s really amazing how well the program is coming along under the leadership of Kimberly Farber, the head coach.”
Hignight said one of the most memorable moments for him during the event was actually during Travis Cook’s win.
“Cash won the state tournament last year, and he received a champion’s bow for that win, so when he won the tiebreaker with Travis at the state shoot, he passed the new bow to him,” Hignight said. “Travis used that bow to win the bull’s-eye national championship, and his parents sought us out to tell us about the win.
“That’s what’s great about archery. You’re not competing against someone else, really, you’re competing against that perfect score of 300,” Hignight said. “I tell all of our archers to cheer for each other and congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. They’re setting the example for those elementary students watching, so when someone puts their hand out to shake it at the end of the meet, shake and walk off that line as friends.”
Swaim said many Arkansas teams performed well in the Eastern National Championship. Magnet Cove High School ranked 18th in bull’s-eye and third place in the 3D discipline.
“That’s as high as we’ve ever had since the program began,” Swaim said.
Barton Jr. High also ranked 25th in the 3D shoot, while Valley Springs High’s Middle School team pulled off a 22nd-place finish in bull’s-eye competition.
“And I’m so proud of Charleston Elementary,” Swaim said. “They went up there and got 20th place in bull’s-eye and fourth place in 3D. “We also had Columbia Christian Elementary drive to Sandy, Utah, to compete in the Western National Championship, and they managed to take 24th place in 3D out there. It’s amazing how well all our Arkansas archers did this year.”
Arkansas’s Top Performing Archers at 2026 Eastern National Championships
Elementary Division
Kaylee Sutton, Magnet Cove Elementary, 13th Place (3D)
Paxton Carlisle, Valley View Elementary, 13th Place (Bull’s-eye)
Middle School Division
Ashtin Sullins, Valley Springs Middle School, 20th Place (Bull’s-eye)
High School Division
Travis Cook, Lead Hill High School, First Place (Bull’s-eye), 20th Place (3D)
Cash Hignight, Magnet Cove High School, First Place (3D)
Callan Hignight, Magnet Cove High School, Third Place (Bull’s-eye), 13th Place (3D)
Koen Masingale, Ozark High School, 24th Place (3D)
Arkansas’s Top Performing Teams at 2026 Eastern National Championships
Elementary Division
Charleston Elementary, Bull’s-eye – 20th Place, Fourth Place (3D)
Middle School Division
Valley Springs High Middle School, 22nd Place (Bull’s-eye)
Barton Junior High, 25th Place (3D)
High School Division
Magnet Cove High School, 18th Place (Bull’s-eye), Third Place (3D)
Arkansas’s Top Performing Archers at 2026 Eastern National Championships
Elementary Division
Dawson Carr, Columbia Christian Middle School, Seventh Place (3D)
Colton Lewis, Columbia Christian Middle School, 10th Place (Bull’s-eye), Second Place (3D)
Parker Warr, Columbia Christian Middle School, 24th Place (Bull’s-eye)
Arkansas’s Top Performing Teams at 2026 Western National Championships
Elementary Division
Columbia Christian Middle School, 24th Place (3D)
