(06/12/25) FOLSOM, La. — When Brody Wonch was a child, his father would carry him on his back into archery shops and the woods to teach him about hunting. Now, before the St. Tammany Parish 4-H’er enters his senior year at Covington High School, he will help carry the nation on his back when he represents the United States in the World Archery Youth Championships in Canada this August.
Quite a few years after growing out of his backpack, Wonch asked his father, Jason, if he would buy him a compound bow. The elder Wonch, who grew up hunting in Michigan, was happy to oblige, although he didn’t know at the time how successful his son would one day become at the sport.
Brody Wonch participated in last year’s compound team at the 4-H National Championships in Nebraska, then followed that up this year by competing at the Gator Cup in Florida, where he earned a spot on the USA Archery Youth Team for the world championships. He will occupy one of only three slots available nationwide in the under-18 compound men’s division.
Like many sons who look up to their fathers, Wonch wanted to be more like his dad, which is how he caught the hunting bug. He began with rifles, then around the age of 13 asked his dad for a compound bow — using it one year later to kill his first deer.
“About the same time, I had a buddy who suggested I join 4-H,” he said. “So, I joined, went to practice and that’s how I started competing in archery.”
4-H gave Wonch his first chance to participate in competitive archery. He credits the organization for helping instill in him the mindset needed for national and international competition.
“With 4-H, you get a good taste of what all the types of archery are like, and you can kind of find what you really love to do,” he said.
Wonch excelled in various sports growing up, including baseball and golf, but nothing compared to how he took to archery.
“We don’t have to push him to practice. He pushes himself to get better,” Jason Wonch said. “He knows that the elite archers across the country are all practicing just as hard as he is, if not harder.”
That rigorous practice often takes the form of target shooting well past dark in his front yard after completing schoolwork, chores and dinner.
LSU AgCenter 4-H shooting sports coordinator David Boldt praised Wonch’s hard work and dedication and said he has the kind of mentality to succeed at anything he chooses.
“The first time I saw Brody competing I could tell he had something special. You could just see it,” Boldt said. “He had all the intangibles that it takes to be an elite archer.”
Wonch refers to his archery team, the Hornets, as a “second family” and says the camaraderie he shares with them only enhances the friendly but serious competitive spirit among them.
“Having people around you that are really good at what you love to do will help you succeed in a lot of ways,” Wonch said.
After high school, Wonch hopes to attend college and eventually become either a mechanical or petroleum engineer. He said he is interested in engineering because he has an analytical mind that he also applies to archery.
“When it comes to tuning a bow and having a process when you shoot, it’s based off data,” he said. “So, you have to have a good analytical approach to archery.”
In an interesting twist, Wonch’s father admits that he didn’t start bow hunting until his early 30s. Now he’s learning more about the sport from his son than he ever knew growing up.
“You know, I go to him now to ask him for advice on what to do with my bow and shooting techniques,” Jason Wonch said. “It’s been so cool to see his whole journey from a novice to where he is now.”
Where Brody Wonch is now is at the pinnacle of the sport of compound bow shooting in the U.S. — and perhaps by the end of summer, the world.
St. Tammany Parish 4-H’er Brody Wonch takes target practice at his home in Folsom. Wonch will be one of three male competitors in his age group representing the United States in the under-18 compound bow division at the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, this August. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter
St. Tammany Parish 4-H’er Brody Wonch tunes his bow at his family home in Folsom. Wonch will be one of three male competitors in his age group representing the United States in the under-18 compound bow division at the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, this August. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter