MSU President's Newspaper Column
January 10, 2026
Mayville State archers hit the mark in inaugural competition
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 was a historic day for Mayville State University. It was the first time ever that Mayville State student athletes represented the university in an archery tournament. The archers were competing for individual achievements. Archery debuted as a varsity sport at Mayville State University in the fall of 2025 under the leadership of head coach Brook Neva. We’re thrilled to offer this opportunity for students.
In the U.S., archery participation grew from approximately seven million archers in 2000 to more than 19 million by 2025. This strong growth was influenced heavily by school programs like National Archery in the Schools Program. This organization alone has introduced archery to 23.5 million students across more than 9,500 schools, fueling interest and engagement.
With this growing trend of interest among elementary and high school students, it makes good sense for Mayville State to offer archery as an option for college students. Interest in the sport does not end there. Archery is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and ability levels.
Our students participated in “Frozen 600,” a local event hosted by North Dakota Archery Alliance and Sandhills Archery Club in West Fargo. Shooting divisions are broken up by gender, age, and the equipment the archers are using for shooting.
I’m Comet Proud of the Mayville State archers and their performance at the tournament in West Fargo! The archers and their results are as follows: Tianna McCardle, first place, Genesis, 19U Women; Alexa Barragan, second place, Genesis, 19U Women; Brekka Kuss, second place, Fixed Pin, 19U Women; Aspen Moreland, third place, Compound Fixed Pin, Women; Reece Olson, third, Compound Fixed Pin, 19U Men; and Cody Andreson, fourth place, Compound Fixed Pin, Men.
The Mayville State archers have made steady progress since their first practice during the first week in September. They’ve been working on their shooting form and process. Some have been upgrading their equipment and tweaking their equipment with different bows and accessories, including arrows, sights, releases, and stabilizer bars.
I’ve enjoyed stopping by the Norsemen Hall in Portland on practice nights to see how things are going. Archery is near and dear to my heart, and I love seeing this new team working hard and getting off to a great start!
According to Coach Neva, “There has been a lot of tinkering and trying different things to find out what works best. It’s different for everyone. Brekka Kuss decided to change divisions from the Genesis Barebow to the Modern Bowhunter class, which involves shooting a different bow, arrows, and accessories. She is working on getting used to that.” Another member of the Mayville State team is considering the possibility of making that same switch.
We have a great group of archers who are working hard to improve their shooting skills and mental program,” said Coach Neva. He said he’s had a lot of fun trying to figure out how he can help each of them improve.
This was the first tournament of this style in which the Mayville State archers had ever competed. In his pre-tournament talk, Coach Neva told them, “I hope you are all very nervous, because if you’re nervous, that means you care. Let’s go out there and compete and have fun!”
And that’s exactly what they did! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been there, experiencing the excitement firsthand alongside the families and parents who came to cheer on the Mayville State archers. It was truly a pleasure to support the team and share in memorable and history-making moments.