JEFFERSON TWP — It was a tiny bow, fitting for display over a mantle.

When Jeff Stull decided to buy it, he had little idea his 2-year-old son would buy into it.

Eight years later, Brandon Stull, 10, of Jefferson Township is a Pennsylvania State Archery Association champion.

Stull won the 11-and-under Cadet Unlimited/Bowhunter Unlimited AA class at the PSAA Championships in Harrisburg earlier this month.

"You could actually shoot that little bow I bought," Jeff Stull recalled. "Brandon wanted to play around with it, so I got down on my knees, held it with him and showed him how to shoot.

"By age 4, he was shooting at targets on his own from 10 yards away."

Jeff Stull's father taught him how to bowhunt at age 13. He got away from it for a while, then returned to bowhunting when he was 18.

"It was a way to extend deer season," he said.

Once Brandon took an interest in the sport, Stull entered his son in youth leagues at Shooter's Showcase in Slippery Rock.

Before long, archery became the official family sport.

"I got tired of watching Brandon all the time, so I got involved in target shooting myself at Shooter's," Stull said. "Two years later, my wife, Jill, got tired of watching and she started shooting."

Brandon's sister Alyson, 9, and brother Hunter, 4, also take part in archery.

Brandon's progress has been on a fast track. At age 8, he placed third in the state. Last year, he was second. He reached the top this year and still has another year to compete in the same division.

The state competition involves shooting 60 arrows for scoring purposes after shooting six practice arrows.

"I think I can win it again," Brandon said. "If I can beat the 11-year-olds now, I should be able to beat them when I'm 11."

Archery is Brandon's favorite sport, but it isn't his only sport. He plays baseball and indoor soccer as well. He hopes to try tackle football this fall.

During the spring and summer, Jeff Stull takes Brandon to 3-D outdoor target shoots at the Buffalo Valley Sportsman Club and Oneida Valley.

"From 58 yards out, he put four arrows into a target space the size of a coffee can," Stull said. "He's not even supposed to be shooting from that range yet."

Jill Stull said she got involved in archery because watching others do it "was like watching paint dry."

"It's definitely a participation activity," she said.

"Archery has brought our family closer because it's an activity we enjoy and do together," Jeff Stull said.

Also a two-time northwest Pennsylvania regional champion, Brandon is the only member of his family to win a state championship. His parents have placed at the state level.

"I do it, but I'm at those competitions more for my kids. I tend to them more than worry about my own shooting," Stull said.

Brandon just worries about getting better.

"I just like aiming, shooting — and seeing how close I can get," he said.