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With the National Archery in the Schools Program National Tournament again setting attendance and participation records in 2014, the new addition to the event - the NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge - achieved some equally impressive results at its Louisville debut.

With the final numbers tallied, more than 2,000 NASP® National contestants also participated in the inaugural NASP/IBO Challenge, representing a respectable 20 percent of the total number of students who took part in the main event.

According to NASP President Roy Grimes, more than 10,500 student archers from 39 states preregistered for the 11th annual event taking place May 8-10, surpassing the record set in 2013, when 9,426 youngsters representing 600 schools participated, reflecting an attendance increase of 10.25 percent. A year earlier, the 2013 attendance was more than a 17 percent increase from 2012. For three years running, the event has been certified by Guinness® World Records as the largest archery tournament in the world.

The NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge is a partnership between the International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) and NASP® to provide a "next step" for NASP® archers who want to shoot 3D (61% when surveyed) and learn more about bowhunting (56%). The archers use the same equipment, at the same but unmarked distances, and follow identical safety protocols they have learned in NASP® classes at school.

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A total of 242 schools participated in the inaugural NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge, representing 37 states. The average team size was 9, and a total of 198 teams qualified (not counting individual groups).

By division, the average score for elementary school shooters was 212, for middle schools, 237, and high school archers averaged 250. Participating boys averaged a score of 239, while the girls averaged 229.

Of the 2005 total participating student archers in the NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge, 56 percent were boys and 44 percent were girls.

The NASP®/IBO 3D Challenge utilizes the same foam big game animals targets used at national IBO championship events provided by Rinehart Targets. The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) sponsored each of the range's wild turkey targets. In the future, the IBO plans to recruit similar sponsorships for the remaining animal targets, in addition to title sponsorships for the event.

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"The 3D shoot was so much fun for the kids!" said Missouri coach and team sponsor, Joan Kriska. "My fourth and fifth graders loved shooting alongside the kids from South Carolina."

Starting in 2105 the format will be incorporated into additional state and regional IBO events, according to the organization's president, Bryan Marcum.

Next up for NASP is its World Tournament at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., July 11 - 13. Joining the top U.S. youth archers will be their NASP® peers from Canada, Africa, and the United Kingdom. Immediately following the World Tournament will be the 2014 NASP® All-Nation All-Star Championship, also at the Madison venue, July 14-16.


- J.R. Absher