Afton, Douglas, and Sundance Schools Tops in the 2013 Wyoming NASP State Tournament
OutdoorHub 04.09.13
Unofficially, you could call Quinten Fryen, of Douglas, and Kelsie Loken, of Sundance, Wyoming’s young Robin Hoods. Officially, they are the Cowboy State’s top young male and female archers in the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) State Tournament, sponsored by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Winning the team titles in the fourth annual competition conducted in Wyoming were Osmond Elementary of Afton, Douglas Middle School, and Sundance High School.
The Cowboy State tournament drew 315 young archers (154 girls and 161 boys), four more competitors than last year, from 11 schools. The virtual tournament was conducted Feb. 18 through March 1. Archers shot in their home gym and recorded their scores on-line.
The competition qualifies archers for the national tournament in Louisville, Ky, May 10-11. The winning schools and the top five contestants in each division qualify for the national tournament.
“The National Archery in the Schools Program is a great way to get young folks interested in archery,” said Tasha Sorensen, hunter and angler recruitment coordinator for the Game and Fish. “The tournament format allows for a statewide competition that keeps costs low for both the schools and the Game and Fish.”
Lisa Dutton, a teacher in Sundance, said the program has been a tremendous addition to their physical education curriculum. “The program has been well thought-out with training and support through DVDs, books, and the Game and Fish,” Dutton said. “Many of our kids are first-timers and those that consider themselves archers have had a chance to hone their skills and help others.”
Dutton said the students like the virtual state shoot. “When results are posted, the students are very interested to see how they compare with the rest of the state. The program has generated a great deal of interest and we have had great comments from parents and the community,” Dutton said.”
The National Archery in the Schools Program teaches international-style target archery in fourth- through 12th-grade physical education classes in 48 states and five countries. Students shoot at 80-centimeter bull’s-eye targets using state-of-the art equipment designed to fit every student. For the tournament, archers shoot 15 arrows at 10 meters and 15 arrows at 15 meters. They shoot at traditional 10-ring targets with the target’s center worth 10 points and the outer ring worth 1 point. The highest total score an individual archer can receive is 300 points. To see the archers’ individual and team scores visit wgfd.wyo.gov or the tournament website at www.nasptournaments.org.
Competing archers pay a $5 entry fee that is used to cover the cost of tournament shirts and awards.
Participating Schools
Buffalo Ridge Elementary in Cheyenne, Etna Elementary, Osmond Elementary in Afton, Wind River Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, and Centennial Middle School in Casper, Douglas Middle School, Mountain View Middle School, Star Valley Middle School, Sundance Middle School and Sundance High School.
Elementary School Team placing (fourth – sixth grades)
1st Osmond Elementary, 2nd Etna Elementary, 3rd Wind River Elementary
Middle School Team Division (seventh and eighth grades)
1st Douglas Middle School, 2nd Mountain View Middle School, 3rd Centennial Middle School
