$10,000 in scholarships awarded to top archers
Over the past year, thousands of student archers competed in regional tournaments throughout the state for a chance to draw their bows at the 2019 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Alabama State Championship in Montgomery, Ala., on April 4-5.
During the event, 1,753 archers from 87 schools competed for top honors and the opportunity to advance to the NASP Eastern National Championship on May 9-11, 2019, in Louisville, Ky. Of the teams that competed in the state tournament, 52 have registered to attend nationals.
This year, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) awarded $10,000 in scholarships to select top archers. The top overall male and female archers each received a $1,500 scholarship. First place high school male and female archers each received $1,000, second place high school male and female archers each received $750, and third place high school male and female archers each received $500.
Additionally, five students randomly selected from a list of all registered Academic Archers who shot during the tournament were each awarded a $500 scholarship. Those students are:
- Barry Dickerson, Pell City High School
- Caine Hastings, Madison County Elementary School
- Connor Kirby, Cotaco Junior High School
- Jacob Hogland, West Point Middle School
- Kyleigh Tucker, Cordova Elementary School
The scholarships are funded through NASP with matching dollars from the state tournament admission fee of $2 per person. In 2019, nearly 3,000 spectators attended the Alabama NASP State Championship.
As Alabama NASP continues to expand, 2019 saw an increase of more than 500 student archers competing in the state championship.
“I’m thrilled to see so many young people excited about archery and hope they continue in the sport,” said Marisa Futral, NASP coordinator for WFF. “Congrats to all them all and good luck at nationals!”
Scoring for the state tournament is based on Olympic-style, target archery in three divisions – elementary, middle and high school. Competition is on team and individual levels. Perfect scores are 3,600 points for teams and 300 for individuals.
Top Scores in the 2019 Alabama NASP State Championship
TOP OVERALL INDIVIDUALS
FEMALE: Kasandra Lee Burch, Alma Bryant High School, Score: 291
MALE: Justin Liveoak, Chilton County High School, Score: 298
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
- Alma Bryant High, Score: 3,447
- Buckhorn High, Score: 3,378
- Ashville High, Score: 3,322
MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION
- Vinemont Middle, Score: 3,384
- Cullman Middle, Score: 3,346
- Buckhorn Middle, Score: 3,280
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DIVISION
- Vinemont Elementary, Score: 3,183
- East Elementary, Score: 3,177
- Dixon Elementary, Score: 3,120
INDIVIDUAL HIGH SCHOOL FEMALES
- Kasandra Lee Burch, Alma Bryant High, Score: 291
- Candace Conkle, Arab High, Score: 290
- Courtney Brown, Alma Bryant High, Score: 290
INDIVIDUAL HIGH SCHOOL MALES
- Justin Liveoak, Chilton County High, Score: 298
- Alex Coons, Buckhorn High, Score: 296
- Tommy Bouler, Alma Bryant High, Score: 294
INDIVIDUAL MIDDLE SCHOOL FEMALES
- Alexis Sartin, Vinemont Middle, Score: 291
- Savannah Mann, Vinemont Middle, Score: 289
- Briana Willoughby, Cullman Middle, Score: 288
INDIVIDUAL MIDDLE SCHOOL MALES
- Dawson Wilhite, Vinemont Middle, Score: 289
- Matthew Alexander, Phillips Preparatory, Score: 289
- Harrison Trout, Clark-Shaw Magnet, Score: 288
INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FEMALES
- Mia Cornelson, Dixon Elementary, Score: 287
- Annah Edwards, Dixon Elementary, Score: 283
- Mercedes Wilhite, East Elementary, Score: 273
INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MALES
- Tucker Robinson, Vinemont Elementary, Score: 285
- Gavin Phillips, Vinemont Elementary, Score: 277
- Charlie Bottoms, Brooks Elementary, Score: 276
Complete results for the 2019 Alabama NASP State Championship are available at www.nasptournaments.org. To view photos from the event, visit Outdoor Alabama’s Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/outdooralabama.
Alabama’s archery program is coordinated by WFF through partnerships with various schools and supporting organizations in the state. Alabama NASP is an affiliate of the national program and promotes discipline, self-esteem and life skills for students in grades 4-12.
To learn more about Alabama NASP, contact WFF Regional Hunter Education Coordinator Michael Bloxom at 334-242-3868 or Michael.Bloxom@dcnr.alabama.gov.
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