SLIPPERY ROCK — Archery used to be Heather Kennedy's bag.

The Slippery Rock resident won championships as a teenager, competed at events in California, Michigan — even Italy at age 16.

Then “life happened,” she said.

“I was a flight attendant, went to school, got married ... I got away from archery for a number of years,” the now Heather Stewart said.

She got out of the game for nearly 10 years before returning to shoot a few tournaments in 2012 with her husband, Gregg.

“I got the bug again,” she said.

Stewart competed in the Pennsylvania State Archery Association's Indoor Championships five of the past six years. She placed fourth, third, second, but only seventh in 2013.

“I was pregnant with my daughter at that meet and had her five weeks later ... I was really pregnant,” she recalled, laughing.

Her performance at the PSAA Indoor Championships this year was no laughing matter — just dead-on accurate.

Stewart hit 594 of a possible 600 targets the first day, 595 of a possible 600 the second day in winning the Women's Unlimited AA title going away. Her 1,189 score was eight points better than runner-up Cathy Miller in the field of 31 shooters.

“Most archers are much better one day compared to the other,” Stewart's father, Tom Kennedy, said. “As well as Heather shot the first day, she hit one more target on the second.”

Stewart got into archery in the first place because of her father.

“We used to live in California and my dad sold archery equipment for a living,” she said. “He used to shoot all the time. My whole family was involved in the sport.

“We moved to Pennsylvania when I was 12. I used to tag along when everyone shot at the East Butler Hunting and Fishing Club. I got tired of watching and just joined in.”

Her father became a truck driver and, like his daughter, got away from archery. Kennedy was a state champion in the 1970s and 80s.

“I probably stopped shooting for 20 years or so,” he said.

Kennedy turned 62 this year and became eligible for the 62-over age category at the state championships. He decided to join Stewart in making the trip to Harrisburg.

“It was fun having him there,” Stewart said of her father. “For all those years he was a truck driver, we didn't have a whole lot of time together.

“This was good family time, bonding time through a sport we both really love.”

While he didn't win at the indoor championships, Kennedy said that seeing Stewart win the state title “was a true thrill for me. She was amazing.”

Now Stewart is back in the archery game — at least for the time being.

“Dad and I have talked about doing some outdoor tournaments this summer,” she said. “My goal at the state (indoor) was to just shoot my average, to feel good about myself.

“It turned into much more than that.”