Two of Three Teams Repeat as Champions At Fourth Annual State NASP Event

MURFREESBORO --- Van Buren County High School and Bledsoe County Middle School each successfully defended their state championship crowns in their respective divisions at the Fourth Annual Tennessee National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Championships held at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum.

 

Bledsoe County Elementary School joined its middle school counterpart as a state champion by winning its first elementary school division title. A record field of more than 800 students participated in the three divisions, an increase of almost 500 students in two years of the growing program. The event was held at the Murfreesboro location for the first time.

 

Van Buren County not only repeated as high school champion, but won the overall title with its team total of 3,109 to outdistance rival Bledsoe County’s 3,055. Lawrence County was third with its 3,045.

 

Bledsoe County Middle shot a 3,082 to win its division, 76 points ahead of Van Buren County’s 3,006. Lawrenceburg’s E.O. Coffman Middle School was third with a 2,935.

 

The Bledsoe Elementary team shot 2,775 on its way to a title. Van Buren Elementary was second with a 2,730 and nearby Siegel Elementary posted a third place finish with a 2,575. All three schools qualified for a trip to NASP National Tournament surpassing the required minimum elementary school division total of 2,500.

 

The overall top individual score came from a fifth grader in the elementary division. CHET’s Grayson Phillips shot a 286 (out of a possible 300) to win the award as top overall shooter. He edged Caleb Miller’s 285, also a CHET member who competed in the high school division. Bledsoe County High teammates Holden Boynton and Anthony Johnson tied for third overall with a 281. Boynton competed in the high school division for the first time after winning the overall middle school honor last year.

           

For the fourth time in as many years, the top overall female shooter came from Clarksville’s Northwest High School. Amber Abate won the award for top female shooter with a 279. Van Buren Middle School’s Kayla Hillis shot a 276 and Bledsoe County’s Haley Corder shot a 275.

 

Teams who had composite scores of at least 2,700 (high school), 2,600 (middle school), and 2,500 (elementary school) qualify for a berth in the NASP National Tournament to be held May 6-8, 2010 in Louisville, Ky.

 

In addition to the top three teams in the high school, division, Sigel (2,976), Northwest (2,957), CHET (2,801), Hendersonville (2,792), and Meigs County (2,746)  all earned the opportunity to participate in the event. Joining the three top finishers in the middle school division to gain berths in the NASP National Tournament are, Siegel (2,883), Meigs County (2,854), Hickman County (2,707), Warren County (2,669), and White County (2,637). Other than the top three finishers, no other school reached the 2,500-minimum score in the elementary division.

 

Team awards were presented following the day’s competition to the top three teams in each division. Medals were presented to the top three female and top three male finishers in each division. Each of the top five individual performers receive bids to the NASP National Tournament.

 

Each student shot 30 arrows, 15 from 10 meters and 15 from 15 meters with a maximum score of 300. The top team and top five individuals (female and male) in each division automatically receive a bid to compete in the National NASP Tournament.

 

In the elementary division the top five female finishers were Katlin Cole (271, Van Buren County), Elizabeth Bleasdale (252, Van Buren County), Cailyn Simonis (234, CHET), Emily Lawrence (231, Bledsoe County), and Allie Gray (Van Buren County) and Carly Browning (Bledsoe County) tie for fifth with 229.

 

For the boys, following CHET’s Grayson Phillips were Tavian Dodd (255, Bledsoe County), Nathaniel Elrod (254, Meigs County), Brett Boring (254, Bledsoe County), and Alex Cown (252, Siegel).

Kayla Hillis and Haley Corder, who finished second and third overall among the female participants, took the top two middle school positions. Winter Picket (269) and Abigal Adams (266, both from Bledsoe County), and Haley Beitel (264, Siegel) rounded out the top five. The top five middle school males were Will Norwood (276, E.O. Coffman), Hunter Mason (270, Van Buren County), Kenneth Heard (269, Bledsoe County), and Steve Dowd (Bledsoe County) and Ryan Davis (Van Buren County), both 265.

 

Following Amber Abate, the top overall female in the high school division were Laura Kupl (272, Siegel), Katelyn Mason (270, Van Buren County), Amy Fricks (269) and Jessie Callahan (262, both of Grace Academy). Following CHET’s Caleb Miller and Bledsoe County’s Anthony Johnson and Holden Boynton among high school males were Van Buren County’s Zeke Wesson (279) and Kane Maynard (276).

 

Sponsored by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee began NASP in late 2004 with 12 pilot schools participating in the program. More than 130 schools now participate in the program. NASP is a 2-8 week curriculum taught during school that teaches International style target archery.

 

If a school or teacher is interested in starting a NASP program, please contact Don Crawford, Assistant Chief of Information and Education at Don.Crawford@tn.gov or (615) 781-6542 or Matt Clarey, Regional Training Coordinator in TWRA Region III at Matt.Clarey@tn.gov or 1-800-262-6704 or (931) 484-9571.

---TWRA---