More than 400 students throughout the state will compete Feb. 12 in the 4th annual National Archery in the Schools Georgia State Tournament.

The state’s top archers from 24 elementary, middle and high schools will convene in Perry for the tournament. The state tournament is coordinated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division and is open to all Georgia schools enrolled in the National Archery in the Schools program (NASP).

A total of 457 students in grades 4-12 have registered for the event.
Participation in the shoot has more than quadrupled since the first year.

“We are so pleased to see the NASP program and participation in the state tournament grow each year,” says State Shooting Sports Program Manager Jennifer Pittman. “Archery is a sport that anyone - male or female, small or large - can find success as long as they practice and dedicate time to achieve their goals. It is a program that teaches concentration, hand-eye coordination, patience and determination - all of which mesh perfectly with school goals.”

State Tournament Division winners will have the opportunity to compete at the NASP National Tournament May 7-8, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky, where more than 6,000 student archers are expected to participate. At the national tournament, teams and individuals from all participating NASP states and countries will vie for college scholarships and other prizes. At the state tournament, the highest scoring male and female archer will each win $1,000 college scholarships. Archery equipment and other awards are also given to top individual archers. The top three teams in each division receive plaques and archers are awarded medals.

The state tournament is conducted at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Georgia Wildlife Federation’s Great Outdoors Show. The Feb. 12 shoot will be held in the Miller Murphy Howard Building next to gate No. 24 (West Gate).

Teams of 16-24 students from each school will compete in three separate
divisions: elementary (4th-6th grade), middle (7th-8th grade) and high (9th-12th grade). Archers will shoot at 10- and 15-meter intervals in six “flights.” An awards reception will follow completion of the last flight about 6 p.m.

At last year’s tournament, two students from Bishop Hall Charter School in Thomasville each received $1,000 scholarships after winning the top male and female shooter awards. Eleven schools qualified to compete in the NASP National Tournament and six of those schools traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to shoot against more than 5,000 other student archers from around the country. One archer from Woodlawn Elementary in Chatsworth was featured on the Disney Channel after having success at the NASP-Georgia State Tournament.

In addition to the tournament, there will be several activities for participants during the Great Outdoors Show. Admission is free for
archers and registered coaches and $8 for observers.

The Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter is located off I-75.
Driving directions can be found at www.gnfa.com .