Plainfield East High School junior Megan McDonough beat eight women to win the Illinois Target Archery Association’s Junior Olympic Archery Development program indoor state championship in the Olympic Recurve Cadet female category.

The competition was Feb. 1 at the
DuPage County Fair Grounds. McDonough also earned the highest Olympic Recurve score of the tournament.

McDonough, who competed against women 14 to 17 years old, said calming her nerves was a big factor to winning the championship.

McDonough said she first tried archery when she was eight years old with her Girl Scout troop. From that point on, she knew it would become a major part of her life.

McDonough signed up for archery with the Bolingbrook Park District and then moved onto Chicago Bow Hunters. She has competed with the Bow Hunters ever since.

Looking at her archery career, McDonough knows how far she has come.

“There was a point where I couldn’t even hit the target, and now I can shoot confidently and have the confidence in my shot to be able to trust myself,” McDonough said in a news release from District 202.

Earning first place at the tournament was no easy feat and the competition went down to the wire. She and the second-place winner were tied until the end. She had to achieve the highest-possible score to win, and she did.

McDonough, who is ranked 10th in the nation in the cadet division, was invited by USA Archery to travel to Medellin, Colombia, for a world ranking competition in June. McDonough’s next goal is to compete at the 2024 Olympics.