Photo: A record-setting 14,946 student archers competed during the 2019 National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament May 9-11 in Louisville. – Photo courtesy Genesis Archery.
Louisville, Kentucky was flooded with planes, trains, buses and automobiles May 9-11, as more than 45,000 student archers, coaches, family and friends gathered at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center for the 2019 National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament.
The event set another record with 14,946 archers attending, an increase over last year’s 14,139 student archers.
The NASP companion event, the International Bowhunting Organization 3D (IBO/3D) Challenge, also broke its record with 5,274 archers.
“Both the Western and Eastern NASP Nationals held in Salt Lake City and Louisville, set new participation records with a combined 16,198 shooters,” said Roy Grimes, NASP president and CEO.
“This represents a 10 percent increase over the previous record set in 2017 of 14,788 archers, he explained. In fact, it is very rare when the number of student archers attending NASP nationals doesn’t set a new record,” he said.
“Regular record-breaking attendance is due partly to generous program sponsors, who make it possible for new schools to receive equipment grants as they adopt the program. With about 60 percent of schools joining in some type of archery competition, it makes sense that archer numbers qualifying to attend nationals will continue to grow.
“Many think NASP National tournament participations will reach 20,000 students in the near future.”
Archers and spectators witnessed the same range set-up and operation procedures as at past tournaments, as waves of archers shot 21 hour-long competitive flights over the course of three days.
Each flight began with five practice arrows, followed by a series of 30 scored arrows, from ten-meter and fifteen-meter shooting lines. Archers listened carefully to the announcer’s whistle signals so they could safely execute each step of the competition process.
And the results are in.
From the Elementary Division, Caden Eyestone, a 5th grader from Park Road Elementary (OK) shot a 294, making him the top shooter for the male division.
Mia Cornelson, also a 5th grader from Dixon Elementary (AL), shot a 294, earning her the top spot in the female category.
In the Middle School Division, Drew Crump, an 8th grader from St. Johns and St. Athanasius Schools (IA), ranked best with a score of 298.
Madalyn Weiss, an 8th grader from Portage Central Middle School (MI), shot a 295. Ashley Scott, a 7th grader from East Middle School (TN) also shot a 295! They both received first place awards, for top shooters in the Middle School Division.
In the High School Division, Henry Thompson, a 10th grader from Anderson County High School (KY), Prestin Tennessen, a 9th grader from West De Pere H.S (WI), and Morgan Ruckel from Kentucky’s Pulaski County High School shot each shot 299 with 29 tens. Each was presented with first place honors and awards for the HS Male Division.
Ashlie Garrison, an 11th grader from Castle High School (IN), shot a 298, as the leading female shooter in the High School Division.
Overall male honors went to Henry Thompson with runner-up going to Prestin Tennessen after a three-way tie-breaker which also included Morgan Ruckel. Henry Thompson won this tie-breaker earning overall male archer.
Ashlie Garrison took overall female, and Peyton Renfrow, an 11th grader from Bullitt East (KY) shot a 297 and was awarded Overall Runner-Up female! NASP also recognizes the top teams in each of the Elementary, Middle, and High School Divisions.
A NASP archer team is comprised of 12-24 archers with both genders represented. The sum of the top twelve scores determines the team’s tournament rank.
For the Elementary Division, Hayden Elementary School (IN) finished on top with their team score of 3229.
Benton Middle School (LA) placed in first with their combined total of 3425. Finally, Castle High School (IN) was awarded first place with a score of 3480.
While the Bullseye competition was in full swing, so was the NASP/IBO/3D Challenge at an adjacent range!
The results of the IBO/3D Competition:
In the Elementary Division, Aiden Sprouse, a 5th grader from Lathrop Street Elementary (PA), shot a 293, landing him the top male spot.
Sydney King, a 4th grader from Trinity Lutheran School (MO), shot a 287, awarding her the top female spot.
In the Middle School Division, Aiden Howard, a 7th grader from Caudill Middle School (KY), shot a 297, achieving the top male spot for his division.
Taking the top female spot is 7th grader Mackenzie Baustian who attends Prairie Point Middle School (IA). She shot a 290.
Finally, in the High School Division, Henry Thompson strikes again! Thompson is a 10th grader from Anderson County High School. He also shot a 297, which was tops in the male category!
Emmaline Kleinman, a 10th grader from Eastern H.S. (KY), shot a 295.
After a close tie-breaker between high schooler Henry Thompson and middle schooler, Aiden Howard, who both shot 297 in their own divisions with 27 tens, Thompson took Overall Male Shooter, with Howard taking the Runner-Up Male spot.
Overall female went to Emmaline Kleinman. After another tense tie-breaker, this time between Elise Leonhart, a 10th grader from Meade County H.S. and Ivy Walton, a 12th grader from Carl junction H.S. (MO), who both shot a 294 with 24 tens, Ivy Walton scored the Overall Runner-Up Female title.
Overall elementary division team honors went to Payneville Elementary in KY, with their score of 1634.
Caudill Middle School in LA took the lead for their division with a score of 1714, and finally Hartland High School’s archery team in MI, landed first in high school division with their score of 1729.
With the number of ties that have occurred at large tournaments, Grimes explained, “last year NASP began presenting duplicate awards for first to fifth place individuals who tied for those positions.
“This procedure was implemented to reduce the number of time-consuming tie-breaker shoot-offs and to recognize top achievement, even if achieved by more than one archer.
The only ties that are broken are for the top overall boy and girl and their heel-nipping runners-ups. During the 2019 tournament, three boys tied at 299, one point from perfection, who participated in the tie-breaking shoot-off for overall male. Henry Thompson one that shoot-off with Prestin Tennessen coming in runner-up.”
On Target for Life
On Target for Life is a program that recognizes students and adults who exhibit exemplary community, team service, courage to overcome challenges, and special academic achievements. Those students were recognized for their contributions during the award ceremony.
Awards were given for Community Service, Bullseye, Superhero, Courage, Outstanding Alumni and Coach of the Year.
Academic Archers
The Academic Archer program recognizes students for maintaining academic excellence and honor roll grades all while enjoying the sport of archery. This year, 31,176 students were registered by their teacher or coach as academic archers which tells us that NASP® archers take school seriously.
This year NASP randomly selected ten AA archers and awarded them Genesis Bows. Easton Technical Products also provided custom AA arrows for the AA archers.
Two new scholarships
The KY Expo Center and the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Louisville, teamed up to award $9,600 to a team of archers at Knox County High School whose coach went above and beyond for his archers. This scholarship award is divided equally in amounts of $400 for each of the 24 team members. Lancaster Archery also provided a $9,600 to a team of Central Illinois archers whose coach served his archers in an exemplary way. Champaign Central High School won 24 $400-individual scholarships.
Sponsors
Sponsors provide support and equipment for NASP include the Mule Deer Foundation, Hoyt Archery, Mathews, Mission and Genesis Archery; Easton Technical Products, Whitetails Unlimited, Academy Sports + Outdoors, BCY, Feradyne, EA Promos, Morrell Targets, Rinehart Targets and American Whitetail Targets. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife provided security and IT support for the tournament.
For more information on NASP Tournaments, On Target for Life and Academic Archer programs, click here.
Next, the NASP Open Championship July 25-27
Next up for many of these archers, will be the 2019 NASP Open Championship at Music City Center in Nashville July 25-27.
The first day, July 25, will be a new Open competition. NASP Archers who have never competed or have competed but didn’t make the state or national tournaments, are invited to attend Day 1 of the tournament. Top archers from the first day will earn a spot in the Championship that follows the next two days.
Archers who attend the Open must be registered by their NASP-certified teacher or coach. Archers who achieved top honors at this year’s Eastern and Western National Tournaments, will also advance to the July NASP Open & Championship to participate in the US National Scholarship Shoot-off and a chance at winning a share of $113,000 scholarship cash to use at any post-secondary education institution after graduating high school.
Find more information on the Open here.