New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Public contact: Information Center (888)-248-6866
Media contact: Karl Moffatt (505) 476-8007
karl.moffatt@state.nm.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 15, 2016:
National Archery in the Schools tournament draws record crowd
ALBUQUERQUE – More than 900 archers competed at the fifth annual National Archery in the Schools (NASP) State Tournament March 12 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
“This sport is growing in popularity each and every year,” said Craig Sanchez, assistant chief of education for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. “It’s fun, anyone can participate and it teaches discipline and focus.”
Tournament participation grew by 15 percent over last year and reflects the popularity of the sport, Sanchez said.
Cody Paris of Aztec High School scored 289 of a possible 300 points with 22 bullseyes to take first place among male high school competitors. Anne Rolsma of AIMS@UNM was the top female high school archer with a score of 280 and 14 bullseyes.
In the middle school division, David Westphal of AIMS@UNM, scored 284 out of 300 with 17 bullseyes to lead the boys while Kylee Pierce, of Albuquerque Home School, scored 276 with13 bullseyes to be the girls’ front runner.
In the elementary division Kimber Barnett of Clovis Christian School led the boys with a high score of 274 out of a possible 300 with 14 bullseyes. Barnett’s schoolmate, Chloee Whitten, was the top girls’ scorer at 273 and 12 bullseyes.
In team standings AIMS@UNM scored highest in the high school division with a total of 3283 out of a possible 3600 points while James Monroe Middle School won their division with a score of 2999 and Clovis Christian School took first place in the elementary division.
The top ten scorers in each individual division qualify to participate in the NASP Nationals in Kentucky in May. For complete list of tournament results please visit www.nasptournaments.org.
More than 100 public schools across New Mexico participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program and more join every year, Sanchez said. Schools receive free training for instructors, and the Department of Game and Fish provides 50 percent of the funding for each school to purchase archery equipment. It costs about $3,000 to outfit a school or organization with bows, targets, backstops and other equipment to get a program started. Many schools incorporate the program into existing physical education or after-school activities.
Federal funding through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service makes National Archery in the Schools Program possible. The Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937 dedicated federal excise taxes collected from manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment to national wildlife restoration programs, which include hunter education, shooting and archery programs in addition to wildlife surveys, transplants, and the purchase and management of wildlife management areas.
For more information about the National Archery in the Schools Program or how your school can get involved, contact Brian Guzman, archery coordinator for the Department of Game and Fish at (505) 222-4726 or brian.guzman@state.nm.us.
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