New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Rachel Shockley, (505) 476-8071
Public contact: (888) 248-6966
rachel.shockley@state.nm.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEB. 28, 2014:
NEW MEXICO’S ARCHERY IN SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT SCHEDULED MARCH 8
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – More than 600 archers are scheduled to compete in New Mexico’s third annual National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament March 8 at the Santa Ana Star Center here. Shooting starts at 8:45 a.m. and the last flight is scheduled to start at 3:45 p.m.
“There should be some really good archers competing,” said Officer Brian Guzman, NASP program coordinator for the Department of Game and Fish. “Last year’s top archer was in the top 100 of almost 10,000 kids competing at the national tournament in May.”
Approximately 100 schools and more home-school students across New Mexico participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program. Schools receive free training for instructors, and the Department provides 50 percent of the funding for each school to purchase archery equipment. The NASP curriculum must be taught for a minimum of two weeks during the scholastic year for schools to qualify for the state and national tournaments.
Competitors will shoot three ends from both 10 and 15 meters. A perfect score would be 300. A total of 20 mid-schools, eight elementary schools, and nine high schools are registered for the tournament. In addition, home-schooled students will compete as individuals.
Federal funding through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service makes NASP possible in New Mexico and many other states. 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.
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