What started as a casual email visit turned into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Platte City’s 10X Archery.
In late May, 10X Archery co-owner and archery coach Matt Davis came across an email about the Jake Kaminski Backyard Championships — an international archery tournament that encouraged community participation and offered a unique twist: the Battle of the Clubs.
The archer range, or club, with the most scorecards submitted would win the grand prize — a personal visit and seminar from two-time Olympic silver medalist Jake Kaminski.
Kaminski, a highly decorated archer with over 15 international medals and multiple golds from the Pan-American Championships, has now turned his focus to building community in the sport. According to his website, this tournament was “about building community, encouraging participation, and celebrating the power of teams in a growing sport.”
That mission resonated deeply with Davis and the small but mighty 10X Archery range at 229 Main Street in downtown Platte City.
“When we presented the idea of this tournament to our archery families, we had a great response,” 10X Archery co-owner Amy Davis said. “The kids love to compete and while it was structured a little different than what they experience on their school teams, it was very familiar.”
Despite being open for just two years and primarily supporting local school archery programs, 10X Archery had already trained more than 200 archers. By the competition’s conclusion, none of the 93 clubs from 28 countries had more scorecards submitted than 10X Archery.
Archers young and old embraced this unique challenge, competing in up to four bow disciplines, some for the very first time, and pushing their personal limits. Many parents and grandparents, some with little to no experience, even joined the effort to boost the club’s scorecard count.
Their main competition came from a powerhouse out of Fresno, California, Break the Barriers, boasting over 400 members. Despite the odds, 10X became the little range that could, steadily climbing the leaderboard and using the California club’s lead as motivation.
“A quick assessment of our competitor on the internet revealed that their archery club has over 400 participants,” Amy Davis said. “Clearly overpowering us by a lot. We quickly became the little range that could, turning Break the Barriers’ rising score into motivation.”
On the final day, June 30, the contest came down to the wire. Break the Barriers pulled ahead by eight scorecards around 5:30 p.m. That’s when Gabe and Janelle Houston and their four sons stepped up.
After grabbing the outdoor shooting rules from 10X Archery, the family of six got to work in their yard at home under outdoor lights late into the night. They submitted the final scorecards that tied the competition at 143 entries each after 11 p.m., earning 10X Archery the championship.
“I am so proud of my parents and grandparents that had the courage to come in, grab a bow and shoot,” Amy Davis said. “It was the support of the families bringing the kids to the range repeatedly and choosing to participate that helped us win.”
The tournament gave archers a chance to shine individually, but also posed another challenge as some archers elected to shoot from 18 meters instead of the previous maximum distance of 15 meters.
“This was no easy feat as I can personally tell you,” Amy Davis said. “That additional 3 meters is a challenge. Recurve is shot differently with an entirely different anchor point and technique, but so many took it on with determination.”
In the male 14-18 division, Zach Snodgrass took first with a score of 291, while Silas Macumber (sixth) and Tim Kallo (10th) also placed. Emerson Ramsey (third), Cooper Webb (fourth), and Carson Fattmann (fifth) led a strong showing in the male 10-13 division. Rorke and Zane Houston placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the 5-9 division.
On the girls’ side, Victoria Kallo claimed second in the 14-18 division, with Dani Kennemer and Payton Townsend tying for fourth. The 10-13 division featured five top-10 placements, including Corbin Williams (second) and Zoey Miller (third). Reese Strueby placed third in the 5-9 category.
Additional honors went to Snodgrass (first in youth traditional male) with a 291, Braylee Hutton (second in female), Isabelle Cordova-Guerrero (fourth in Olympic Recurve Women’s), and Beth Taulbee (sixth in Women’s Master’s Compound). The Houston family continued to impress, with Gabe placing sixth in Men’s Indoor Compound and Janelle earning fourth in Outdoor Recurve.
For 10X Archery, this wasn’t just a summer competition; it was a celebration of teamwork, determination, and the power of community. The experience helped sharpen skills, brought families closer together, and reminded everyone involved that heart can beat size.
To celebrate the tremendous accomplishment, Jake Kaminski, alongside his wife, Heather, will visit Platte City’s championship archery community, tentatively slated for October.