Ohio’s Archery in the Schools Tournament Draws 1,319 Students
OutdoorHub 03.06.12
The winner of the 2012 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament was Logan High School in Hocking County according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, which coordinates the NASP for Ohio.
The state tournament was held March 2 in Columbus in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival, the annual fitness tournament developed by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“This was our sixth year of hosting the state championship tournament at the Arnold sports festival, and this was the largest competition to date,” said Matt Neumeier, shooting sports coordinator for the Division of Wildlife. “The state tournament drew more than 1,300 student archers with 33 of the 55 Ohio teams qualifying for the NASP national tournament in May.”
Tyler Finley of Maysville High School was the top overall male archer, and Katie Ruffner of Logan High School was the top female archer. The top male and female archers were determined by a shoot-off between the top three boys and top three girls from each of the three divisions—elementary, middle school and high school.
Hocking College in Nelsonville offered scholarships for the first, second and third place finishers in the male and female final shoot-off this year.
This year’s Spirit Award went to the Philo School District for their demonstration of enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
A total of 1,319 student archers from 55 teams statewide competed in the tournament. Each competitor could score a maximum of 300 points by shooting arrows as close to the center of a target as possible.
Awards were given for both teams and individuals with high scores in the elementary, middle school and high school divisions. Thirty-three Ohio teams received qualifying scores, making them eligible to participate in the NASP National Invitational Tournament, which is scheduled May 11-12 in Kentucky.
NASP is used to teach target archery in a school’s gym. The curriculum covers archery, safety, equipment, technique, concentration skills and self-improvement. For more information on the program, visit www.ohionasp.com.
