Several EKY schools to compete in largest school archery tournament in the US

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) - Students and archery teams from across the state will gather in Kentucky’s largest city later this month to show off their skills.

The annual Kentucky National Archery in the Schools (NASP) State Tournament will take place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville on March 17th and 18th.

Officials say the tournament is the largest of its kind in the United States.

21 schools were involved in the first event back in 2002.

“The National Archery in the Schools Program began in Kentucky as an in-school pilot program and has spread to most every U.S. state and a number of foreign nations,” said Lisa Frye, state NASP coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources in a news release. “An inclusive sport, NASP uses archery to teach focus, self-control, discipline and patience, all skills that help build student achievement.”

The sport of archery is one of the oldest in the world, starting in China between 1027 and 256 BC. It was a featured sport in the Olympics in the early 20th century and returned to the games in the 1970s for men, women and mixed competition.

Elementary, middle and high school student-archers will compete for individual and team honors. The top 10 seniors in the boys’ and girls’ divisions will receive $1,000 scholarships to apply to any college of their choosing.

You can read more about the tournament here.

77 schools in our region will be competing. You can find that list here. Good luck to them all!