DC Warriors Archers Win 2 Bronze Medals at Arizona State Championship
TSAILE, Ariz. Two Diné College archers won bronze medals at the 2026 USA Archery Arizona State Outdoor Championship. The event took place in Oct. 17-18 at the Ben Avery FITA Range in Phoenix. Kaitlyn Yazzie earned bronze in the Barebow Senior Women division. Seidel Joe earned bronze in the Barebow Senior Men division. The DC Warriors Archery team battled steady morning winds and reached the elimination rounds in that format for the first time.
Yazzie won her bronze medal match 6-0 over teammate Kylee Manuelito. Joe also claimed bronze in his division. The results marked a strong showing for the team. The archers faced some of Arizona’s top competitors. Five DC Warriors archers competed in the qualifying round on Saturday, Oct. 17. Each archer shot 72 arrows from 50 meters. In the Barebow Senior Women division, Kaitlyn Yazzie scored 257, Kylee Manuelito scored 219, and Wilmena Joe scored 135. In the Barebow Senior Men division, Anfernee Tsosie scored 240, and Seidel Joe scored 125.
The team moved on to the elimination rounds on Sunday, Oct. 18. In this format, the first archer to reach 6 points won. In the men’s quarterfinals, Joe faced teammate Tsosie. Tsosie jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Joe then hit a 10 and built momentum. He rallied to win 6-4. In the women’s quarterfinals, Yazzie received a bye. Manuelito beat teammate Wilmena Joe 6-2 to advance.
Each DC Warriors archer then faced a top-seeded opponent in the semifinals. Seidel Joe lost 6-0 to No. 1 seed Jeramie Perley. Manuelito lost 6-0 to No. 1 seed Kisicki. Yazzie lost 6-0 to No. 2 seed Penner. All three archers advanced to the bronze medal matches. The championship welcomed Diné College Archery back to USA Archery collegiate competition. The team’s results showed the archers’ growth and reflected the support of the Diné College community. The DC Warriors plan to build on this experience in future events.
More information, you may contact:
Darwyn Clyde Henderson
Archery Coach &
Acting College Librarian
Kinyaa’aanii Charlie Benally Library
Tsaile, Arizona
Email: dchenderson@dinecollege.edu
Phone: (928) 724-6764 or (505) 368-3644
Diné College Athletics: Diné College, located in Tsaile, Arizona, has served students and the Navajo Nation since 1968. The college supports athletic programs in archery, rodeo, and cross-country, providing student-athletes the opportunity to compete and grow alongside their academic pursuits. For more information, visit www.dinecollege.edu.
