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Thousands of young archers throughout The Natural State took their places at the firing line last weekend to compete in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Archery in the Schools regional qualifying tournaments. At the close of competition, 105 teams were chosen to compete in this year’s state championship event, which will be held at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, March 3-4.
Curtis Gray, AGFC Archery in the Schools Coordinator, said teams competed in one of three divisions to qualify for the state championship.
“We have students in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools who compete, so we separate the archers into classes based on age,” Gray said. “But it’s amazing to see some of the younger shooters compete on the same level as many of our high school teams. A lot of it comes down to the amount of practice and instruction the team experiences.”
Twelve in-person regional shoots were held throughout the state Feb. 11 for teams who wished to compete in a traditional manner. Teams also had the ability to compete virtually through a standardized scoring system and tournament framework the week before, as long as their scores were turned in by Feb. 10 and could be verified.
“We used a virtual design with good success when COVID-19 prevented many schools from attending in-person events,” Gray said. “While we’d ideally like to see all schools come back and compete in regional events in person, we understand that some still more comfortable in a virtual format for now and we want to give all our kids the opportunity to compete.”
The top two teams in each region for each division earned births into the state championship, as did the remaining top 12-scoring teams in each division, regardless of location.
“The format helps even the playing field for teams who are in really strong divisions that may have just had a bad shoot,” Gray said. “Some third and fourth-place finishers in a few regions could compete alongside first-place finishers in other regions, so we make sure they get a chance to qualify based on their talent as well.”
Gray says 3,358 students competed either in person or virtually during this year’s regional tournaments, which is nearly identical to last year’s participation totals.
“We’ve built back some momentum in the program, thanks to some dedicated teachers and educators,” Gray said. “The competition level is high and there’s still some good excitement surrounding the program.”
The Arkansas National Archery in the Schools Program – part of the National Archery in the Schools Program – teaches archery skills as well as an outdoor hobby that young people may enjoy for the rest of their lives. It has also proven to be a great way to sharpen skills, build self-esteem and create a stronger atmosphere for success in the classroom, according to Gray.
ANASP is funded through several sources, including Act 799 of the 2003 Arkansas General Assembly, which sends fine money collected from violators of AGFC regulations to all 75 counties. The money is earmarked for conservation education in schools.
Complete results of the 2023 Arkansas Archery in the Schools Regional Qualifiers are available at https://nasptournaments.org/.
Visit www.agfc.com/ais for more information on Archery in the Schools and to learn how to join the program.
Elementary qualifiers
Charleston Elementary
Old High Middle School
Magnet Cove
Glen Rose
Washington Middle School
Taylor Elementary
St. Johns Lutheran School
Valley Springs
Alpena
Eagle Mountain Magnet
Southside Elementary
Green County Tech Elementary
Cave City School District
Pottsville Elementary
Waldron Elementary
South Side School
West Side Elementary
Salem Elementary — Bryant
Collegeville Elementary
Crystal Hill Elementary
Homeschoolers On Target
South Pike County School
Acorn Elementary
Bergman Elementary
Hill Farm Elementary
Marshall School
Hurricane Creek Elementary
Omaha
Columbia Christian School
Perryville Elementary
Springhill Elementary
Jasper School District
Linda Childers Knapp Elementary
Robert L. Davis Elementary
Valley View Elementary
Middle School Qualifiers
Charleston Middle School
Lincoln Jr. High School
Magnet Cove Middle School
Glen Rose Middle School
Barton Archery Team
Taylor Middle School
Star City Middle School
Stuttgart Junior High School
Alpena Middle School
Valley Springs Middle School
Cedar Ridge School
Southside Middle School
Greene County Tech Middle School
Valley View Junior High School
Pottsville Junior High School
Waldron Middle School
South Side School
West Side Middle School
Bethel Middle School
Bryant Middle School
Des Arc Elementary
Cabot Junior High North
South Pike County School
Acorn Middle School
Omaha High School
Bergman School
Jasper School District
Cave City School District
Washington Middle School
DQ Cubs
Hamburg Middle School
Marshall School
Perryville Middle School
Arkansas Arts Academy
Ozark Junior High
Cabot Junior High South
High School Qualifiers
Charleston High School
Bentonville High School
Glen Rose High School
Taylor High School
Star City School District
Stuttgart High School
Alpena High School
Bergman School
Cedar Ridge School
Southside High School
Greene County Tech High School
Cave City School District
Waldron High School
Pottsville High School
Vilonia High School
Pangburn High School
Bryant High School
Spa City Archery
Cabot High School
Sylvan Hills High School
South Pike County School
De Queen High School
Valley Springs High School
Omaha High School
Ozark High School
Valley View Senior High
Brookland High School
Cossatot River High School
Marshall School
Hillcrest High School
Parkview High School
Acorn High School
Jasper School District
Clarksville High School
