Union Grove — As Maddie Clowers and Rachel Gunter raise their bows, they mentally tell themselves to remain calm.

After all, they’ll only be competing against about 8,000 other students in a national archery tournament in May.

“It feels really good, actually,” Rachel said of qualifying for the national tourney.

Maddie, a sixth-grader, and Rachel, a ninth-grader, each qualified for the National Archery in Schools Program national tournament May 10-11 in Louisville, Ky. Rachel finished fifth in the high school division, and Maddie finished fourth in the elementary division.

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