Indiana Schools Archery Tournament March 1 in Muncie
Indiana’s seventh annual National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament—the largest indoor youth archery tournament in state history—will take place March 1 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie.
The tournament features 57 schools with nearly 1,100 students. More than 1,000 students from 50-plus schools took part last year. Participation has increased each year. Admission is free.
Lt. Larry Morrison of the DNR Division of Law Enforcement said he hopes the growth will continue, not only with the tournament itself but also for the in-school programs.
“It is our hope that this will lead to many new indoor and outdoor activities,” Morrison said.
Doors open at 7 a.m. and flight (shooting) times start at 7:30 a.m. A new flight starts every 70 minutes, with the last flight scheduled for 4:50 p.m.
A shoot-off of the six top scorers, both male and female, will follow the last flight to determine the overall individual winners in the 4th-6th, 7th-8th and 9th-12th grade divisions. An awards ceremony will follow. Results will be posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IndianaNASP.
The Indiana Field Archery Association will run the tournament, along with volunteers and Indiana Conservation Officers from the DNR. The Indiana Hunter Education Association is the underwriting sponsor.
Supported as a joint venture between school corporations throughout Indiana and the DNR, NASP provides international target archery training in Indiana’s physical educational classes, grades 4-12. NASP supports student education and introduces many life skills through archery.
Tournament competition is open only to schools that have received the archery training provided by the DNR Law Enforcement Division and have the archery program as a part of their curriculum. More than 300 Indiana schools are expected to be participating by the end of the current school year.
The program is supported and often funded through local school corporations, the Indiana Hunter Education Association, individual donations, conservation organizations, and corporate sponsors such as the National Wild Turkey Federation.
