Though the heat index exceeded 100 degrees on Sunday, it did not stop athletes from competing in the 2011 Iowa Games 3-D Archery competition. Athletes braved the heat to go out on Sunday to the Izaak Walton League Park and Trail in Ames to hunt down prey and competition.

In 3-D Archery, one has to hit dummy animals rather than living ones. On each animal there is a 12-point circle, a 10-point circle and an eight-point circle. Body shots count for five points.

Competitors had Saturday afternoon to score their points, as well as Sunday afternoon. Saturday’s competition, which also took place amid the heat, ran into late afternoon.

“The heat was a factor for a lot of people. It might’ve thrown off their game a little,” said Mike Lambert, an archery expert.

Lambert was the weekend’s winner of the Male Open Class. Lambert has been shooting for quite a long time now, and is an expert with the bow.

The way the course was set up was in several stations. At each station, there was a stake archers could shoot from.

“The stake-to-target ranges were distanced anywhere from 14 to 40 yards,” commented Lambert. “I really liked the way the course was set up as well,” Lambert added.

The rest of the Iowa Games will continue through the end of this week (with the exception of the Iowa Games Golf Classic, which takes place in September). By next weekend, most of the games will have concluded.