The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will host the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) 16th State Championships, March 30-31 in Murfreesboro.
The NASP State Championships will be returning to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum for the 12th time. More than 1,700 students representing 80 schools are registered to participate. There will be three divisions. Schools will compete in the elementary, middle school and high school divisions. Awards will be presented to the top teams and individual finishers in each division.
Many of the Volunteer State’s best student archers will participate in this year’s event. The NASP program began in Tennessee in 2004 and continues to see tremendous growth.
Competition will start at 9:30 a.m. with the final flight scheduled for 3:30 p.m. each day. The awards ceremony is expected to begin at 5 p.m. on the second day of the competition. The public is welcome and invited to attend. There is no admission charge.
Last year’s event returned to the coliseum for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic. White County High School from Sparta, Ocoee Middle School from Cleveland, and Wilson Elementary from Murfreesboro claimed 2022 titles in their respective divisions.
Tennessee began NASP in late 2004 with 12 pilot schools participating in the program. The number of schools has grown to more than 600 that now participate in the program. NASP is a two-week curriculum taught during school that teaches International Style Target Archery.
Each student will shoot 30 arrows, 15 from 10 meters and 15 from 15 meters with a maximum score of 300. The top team and top 10 individuals in each division automatically receive a bid to compete in the 2023 National NASP Tournament to be held May 11-13 in Louisville, Ky. There will also be at-large bids for those who qualify.
If a school or teacher is interested in starting a NASP program, contact Don Crawford, assistant chief, Communications and Outreach Division at [Don.Crawford@tn.gov%20]Don.Crawford@tn.gov or 615 781-6542 or Matt Clarey, Regional Training Coordinator in TWRA Region III at Matt.Clarey@tn.gov or 931 484-9571.