Benton Middle School and Kingston Elementary captured world titles in their divisions of the 2017 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) World Tournament and 2017 NASP World International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) 3-D Challenge held July 21-22 in Orlando, Florida.
Benton Middle School won the middle school championship and Kingston Elementary took home the elementary school crown. Benton Elementary finished as the runner-up in the elementary division. Haughton Middle School was fourth in the middle school division. Weston Wray and Thomas Allen, both from Kingston, earned second and sixth place in the elementary boy’s bullseye competition.
For the companion event, the NASP IBO 3-D Challenge, Benton Elementary finished second and Kingston Elementary was third in the elementary category. Benton Middle was fourth in the middle school division and Haughton Middle finished sixth.
Thomas Allen from Kingston took second place for the elementary boy’s 3-D division. Cassidy Walters, also from Kingston, took second place and Madeline Lowry of Benton Middle earned fourth place in the elementary girl’s 3-D division. Abbie Rutledge from Benton High took fifth place in the girl’s high school 3-D division.
A total of 149 student archers from eight schools represented Louisiana at the NASP World tournament. All Louisiana schools participate in NASP through the Archery in Louisiana Schools Program, administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and supported by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.
“Louisiana is now known worldwide for its outstanding student archers,’’ said Jan McGovern, LDWF’s ALAS Coordinator. “We would like to recognize and congratulate all the Louisiana archers, teams and coaches who participated in the 2017 NASP World Tournament. They have achieved great things and our state is proud of them.”
The world tournament provides an opportunity for students not only in the United States but also other countries to come to together to share the commonality and enthusiasm for the sport of archery.
The 2017 NASP World Tournament, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, saw 3,764 students from 276 schools from around the world take part in the bullseye competition and 1,270 archers from 145 schools in the IBO 3-D portion of the tournament.
Countries that were invited to the event included the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Mongolia, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. NASP is designed for student archers in grades four through 12.
Other Louisiana schools that competed in the world tournament included Northwood High School, Greenacres Middle School and Apollo Elementary School.
The ALAS program teaches NASP to students as part of the in-school curriculum. The ALAS program is available to all Louisiana schools, public and private.
For more information about the ALAS program, contact McGovern at jmcgovern@wlf.la.gov or 985-543-4930.
