Indiana NASP® - What a Year!!

Although the premise of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) is not competition, the desire to compete is strong in our youth. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division sponsored Indiana NASP® program fulfills this need by providing an avenue for our NASP® archers to participate in everything from friendly local competition to the World NASP® Tournament. We have organized a qualification system for our NASP® in-school archers to qualify for the Indiana State Tournament. We have organized a State Tournament second to none. We have a huge presence at both the National and World NASP® Tournaments.

On the local level our schools begin archery practices both in school and in qualified after school clubs in September. Small, local competitions are common through the fall months to get their feet wet and help familiarize archers with competition rules. Early winter brings more formal local tournaments and increased practice leading up to the State Qualifier period.

Beginning January 1, teams begin to shoot at registered qualifying events. Indiana schools hosted forty four (44) of these competitions involving 169 schools. A total of 3,320 archers attempted to qualify for the state tournament. When the qualifying teams and individuals were announced February 19, 2,124 archers were invited to compete. This number included 94 teams and 70 individuals.

The Tenth Annual Indiana NASP® State Tournament was held March 12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. 2,066 competed in the target tournament. 49.6% were female! Of these 2,066 archers, 1,582 (76.6%) qualified for the National NASP Tournament. Indiana also hosted its Second Annual NASP®/IBO Challenge. 446 archers representing 34 schools competed. Public turnout for this day of competition was phenomenal. Over 6,000 spectators came to support their young archers in what has become the culminating event in Indiana's NASP® year.

Indiana was well represented in the National NASP® Tournament held in Louisville, KY in May. The 2016 third place middle school team in the nation, Castle North Middle School, became the home of the first place female middle school archer in the nation, Ashlie Garrison. The 2016 third place high school team in the nation, Castle High School, became the home of the third place male high school archer in the nation, Jackson O'Bryan. He is also the first place ninth grade male in the nation. Morgan Daily from Reitz Memorial High School was the high school female champion of the National NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge. Indiana students also received nearly twenty-five percent of the scholarship money that was awarded at the National NASP® Tournament. This year's National Tournament awarded $192,000 in scholarships.

The World NASP® Tournament was held in Myrtle Beach, SC. 662 Indiana archers participated. The newly crowned first place female high school archer in the world and second place overall female archer in the world is Morgan Daily, Reitz Memorial High School. Ashlie Garrison continued her reign by becoming the champion middle school female archer in the world. Wyatt Gatewood from South Decatur Jr./Sr. High School became the third place middle school male in the world. Castle High School improved its ranking by becoming the second place high school team in the world and Hayden Elementary School became the third place elementary team in the world.

Two of the sixteen archers on the USA team attending the 2016 NASP® All Nation All-Star Championship are from Indiana. These two students are Ashlie Garrison from Castle North Middle School and Jackson O'Bryan from Castle High School. The team competed in Johannesburg, South Africa the week of July 10th with other national teams from around the world.

In August, Indiana will also be represented in the Third Leg of the NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge that will be held at the Seven Springs Resort in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Whitko Middle School and Whitko High School will compete on August 12th and 13th. The Whitko schools are located in northeast Indiana.

Indiana is proud of each and every one of our archers. Each has excelled in their own way over the past school year. 533 were recognized as NASP® Academic Archers, a designation awarded to NASP® archers achieving exceptional academic rankings along with participating in the in-school archery program. Some have overcome physical barriers to become involved in a sport designed for everyone. Many have shot a bow for the first time and become hooked. Whatever their level of participation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division welcomes these students to the world of archery.

Media contact: Tim Beck, Coordinator - DNR Division of Law Enforcement. 317-694-7531