GEORGIA'S TOP SCHOOL ARCHERY TEAMS HEADED TO STATE

Regional champs take aim in Perry for 7th annual state archery tournament

Special to the Journal

PERRY, Ga. ? More than 600 students from the top school archery teams in the state will compete March 13 in the 7th annual National Archery in the Schools Georgia state tournament.

The state?s top archers from more than 40 elementary, middle and high schools will convene in Perry at the Georgia National Fairgrounds for the national-qualifying tournament. The state tournament is coordinated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources? Wildlife Resources Division and is open to all Georgia schools enrolled in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP).

Earlier this year, more than 1,100 archers in 4th-12th grades competed in six regional tournaments to qualify for entry into this state competition. Regional champion teams in the elementary, middle and high school divisions automatically qualified for state, while nine wildcard teams also received an invite based on regional scores.

State tournament division winners and individual qualifiers will have the opportunity to compete at the NASP National Tournament May 10-11 in Louisville, KY, where nearly 8,000 student archers from more than 35 states are expected to participate. In 2012, the national tournament was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest archery tournament ever held, with more than 7,800 archers.

School teams of 16-24 students consisting of male and female archers compete in three separate divisions: elementary (4th-6th grade), middle (7th-8th grade) and high (9th-12th grade). Archers will shoot at 10- and 15-meter intervals in six ?flights.? There are 106 shooting lanes in each flight. Awards will be handed out about one hour after the last flight is completed.

The state tournament is conducted at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter?s Miller Murphy Howard Building next to gate No. 24 (West Gate). Admission is free for observers.

Regional tournament scores and state qualifiers are listed online at www.georgiawildlife.com/NASP. More scores and tournament team listings can also be found at www.nasptournaments.org.

The Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter is off I-75. Driving directions can be found at www.gnfa.com.

The National Archery in the Schools Program is an in-school archery curriculum that meets all education department standards. Only schools that are certified in NASP through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are qualified to compete in the Georgia Tournament. Schools in more than 100 counties in Georgia are NASP certified.

The program promotes instruction in international-style target archery to improve educational performance and participation in shooting sports. Research has shown that the program, administered through a minimum two-week course during the school year, improves class attendance and behavior. NASP universal-fit bows make it possible for students of all sizes and genders to succeed in archery while raising self-esteem levels and improving hand-eye coordination during physical activity.

NASP is taught in 47 states as well as 10 countries. To date, more than 10 million students have gone through the program.

For more information on NASP in Georgia, recreational shooting sports opportunities or to find a range near you, visit www.georgiawildlife.com, contact a local Wildlife Resources Division office or call (770) 918-6416.

Source: http://thealbanyjournal.com/2013/03/georgias-top-school-archery-teams-headed-to-state/

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