122 MoNASP student archers compete in 2016 World Archery Tournament

MDC congratulates all Missouri student archers who took part in world archery tournament.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The National Archery in the Schools (NASP) World Tournament and 3D Challenge were held June 23-26 at Myrtle Beach, SC. More than 2,100 student archers in grades 4-12 from 271 schools in three countries competed – including 121 Missouri students from 10 schools.

The following Missouri students placed in the top 10 of the NASP World Tournament:

• Junior Caleb Stillians from Sarcoxie High School took second out of 2,135 archers. Stillians shot almost a perfect score of 299 out of 300. Stillians also showed his skills with a bow placing fifth out of 1,120 student archers competing in the 3D NASP World Challenge.
• Senior Sam Stewart from Lee’s Summit West High School took eighth out of 2,000 female archers with a score of 293 out of 300 in the NASP World Tournament.
• Sixth grader Max Wangler from Sarcoxie Middle School shot an impressive 294 out of 300 placing him fifth in the middle school males division. Wangler also showed off his skills in the 3D NASP World Challenge by shooting a score of 288 out of 300 to take fourth place.
• Fifth grader Michael Kloeppel from St. Joseph Catholic School Westphalia took eighth place out of 644 elementary males in the NASP World Tournament.

The following Missouri students and schools placed in the top 10 of the 3D NASP World Challenge:

• Kat Smith from Jasper R-5 placed third out of 253 middle school female archers.
• Gage Weist from Sarcoxie Middle School took sixth place out of 271 middle school male archers. Teammates James Filbeck and Justin Brooks took ninth and tenth place in the same division.
• Isabelle Smith from Lee’s Summit West High School took sixth place out 166 high school female archers shooting a score of 287 out of 300. Teammates Sam Steward and Shelby Winslow took seventh and tenth place in the same division.
• Sarcoxie Middle School took second place in their division.
• Carl Junction Middle School took eighth place in their division.
• Lee’s Summit West High School took fifth place in their division.

To see all tournament scores, visit: http://bit.ly/29lKcC9.

NASP promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than ten million students have participated in the program through 10,000 schools in 47 states and 10 countries.

Missouri student archers participated through the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP), which is coordinated through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) in partnership with numerous schools and supporting organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP and also promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. More than 135,000 Missouri students from 500 schools participate in MoNASP. To learn more, visit the MDC website at http://on.mo.gov/291G89E.

MDC hosts MoNASP teacher training workshop in Osage County

The session is free, but registration is required by Oct. 9.

LOOSE CREEK, Mo.-Teachers can help their students learn responsibility and focus like never before -- all by participating in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). MDC will be holding a training workshop for teachers interested in joining MoNASP from 4:30-8:30 p.m.on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16, at the Immaculate Conception School gym located at 147 County Road 402 in Loose Creek. The session is free, but registration is required byOct. 9.

The certification course is for teachers and school administrators who would like to start a MoNASP program in their school. Participants must score 80% or better on a 100-question certification exam that will be given at the end of the workshop.

"Nearly everyone -- regardless of age, size, or physical ability -- can succeed in archery," said MDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers. "Statistics show school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants self-esteem, physical activity, help kids relate to the learning subject matter, and gets kids outdoors to discover nature."

MoNASP is modeled on the National Archery in the Schools Program, which began with a simple idea; teach kids the basics of archery as part of a school curriculum. MoNASP teaches International-style target archery to students in grades 4-12. Currently, more than 500 Missouri schools and more than 135,000 students participate in this lifetime sport.

To register for the workshop, visit http://naspbai.org/ClassView.aspx?cid=4911. For more information, contact Flowers at Brian.Flowers@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 3388.

For more information about MoNASP, visit mdc.mo.gov/education/monasp.

MDC hosting MoNASP teacher training workshop in Miller County

Missouri's National Archery in the Schools program (MoNASP) teaches Olympic-style target archery to students in grades 4-12. Over 500 Missouri schools and more than 135,000 students participate.

The training is free, but registration is required by Aug. 3.   

ST. ELIZABETH, Mo.—Teachers, help your students learn responsibility and focus like never before. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding a training workshop for teachers interested in joining Missouri’s National Archery in the Schools program (MoNASP) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at St. Elizabeth R-IV School gym located at 240 Church St. in St. Elizabeth. The session is free, but registration is required by Aug. 3.   

The certification course is for those teachers and/or school administrators who would like to start a MoNASP program in their school. Participants must score 80% or better on a 100 question certification exam that will be given at the end of the class.

“Nearly everyone, regardless of age, size or physical ability can succeed at archery,” saidMDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers.  “Statistics show school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants self-esteem and physical activity, helps kids relate to learning subject matter, and gets kids outdoors to discover nature.”

MoNASP is modeled on the national archery in the schools program, which began with a simple idea; teach kids the basics of archery as part of a school curriculum. MoNASP teaches International style target archery to students in grades 4-12. Currently, over 500 Missouri schools and more than 135,000 students participate in this life time sport.

To register for the workshop, visit http://naspbai.org/ClassSearch.aspx?country=US&state=MO. For more information, contact Flowers at Brian.Flowers@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 3388.

For more information about MoNASP, visit mdc.mo.gov/education/monasp.

Related articles

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• MDC to host Master Naturalist class orientation in Sedalia (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• MDC changes deer hunting regs to help slow CWD (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

MDC hosting MoNASP teacher training workshop in Jefferson City

Teachers, help your students learn responsibility and focus like never before. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding two separate training workshops for teachers interested in joining Missouri’s National Archery in the Schools program (MoNASP) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 8, at St. Martins Catholic School located at 7206 St. Martins Blvd. in Jefferson City. The workshop is free, but registration is required by June 5.   

“Nearly everyone, regardless of age, size or physical ability can succeed at archery,” saidMDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers.  “This training will give teachers the necessary skills to start an archery program in their school.”

MoNASP is modeled on the national archery in the schools program, which began with a simple idea; teach kids the basics of archery as part of a school curriculum. MoNASP teaches Olympic style target archery to students in grades 4-12. Currently, 499 Missouri schools and over 130,000 students participate in this life time sport.

Statistics show school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants self-esteem and physical activity, helps kids relate to learning subject matter and gets kids outdoors to discover nature.

To register for the workshop, visit http://naspbai.org/ClassSearch.aspx?country=US&state=MO. For more information, contact Flowers at Brian.Flowers@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 3388.

For more information about MoNASP, visit mdc.mo.gov.

MDC holding meeting in Cape on proposed deer reg changes

Share comments March 10 at MDC Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center.

Cape Girardeau, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is seeking public input on proposed changes to the state's deer hunting regulations for the 2016-2017 hunting season. To help explain the proposed changes and gather public feedback, MDC will hold a public meeting on March 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. at its Cape Girardeau Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive.

MDC also welcomes public comments online. To learn more about the proposed regulations, additional public meetings being held, MDC's deer management plan, past public comments, and to provide comment, visit the Department's website at mdc.mo.gov/node/28079. Mail comments to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Attn: Policy Coordination, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

For the fall firearms deer season, MDC proposes:

• Maintaining the current timing of the November portion but reducing the length from 11 days to nine days,
• Expanding the late youth firearms weekend from two days to three days and having it begin the Friday after Thanksgiving instead of early January,
• Reducing the length of the antlerless firearms portion from 12 days to three days and beginning it on the first Friday in December, and
• Eliminating the urban zones portion.

For the fall archery deer and turkey season, MDC proposes:

• Allowing crossbows as a legal method, and
• Reducing the limit of antlered deer during the archery season from two to one.

MDC also proposes simplifying conservation area regulations and also wants public comment on permit fees for nonresidents regarding a possible increase, decrease, or no change in price.

The proposed regulation changes are a result of public input and MDC deer management research and practices. During the summer of 2014, MDC gathered more than 4,000 public comments on deer management and possible regulation changes through open houses, online comments, letters and emails. MDC also surveyed many deer hunters regarding potential regulation changes. MDC staff will present final regulations recommendations to the Conservation Commission in late 2015.

RATIONALE FOR REGULATION CHANGES

MDC expanded the November portion of firearms deer season to 11 days in 1995 in response to a rapidly growing deer population in many parts of the state. Deer numbers in most parts of Missouri are now at or below desired levels. According to MDC biologists, reducing the length of the November portion by two days will help increase those numbers.

The Department's reasoning for changing the timing of the late youth portion from early January to the weekend after Thanksgiving is that it should increase youth-hunter participation and success as a result of better deer activity and weather conditions. Adding the Friday after Thanksgiving will provide an additional hunting day when schools are closed.

MDC anticipates that reducing the length of the antlerless season from 12 days to three days will help increase deer numbers to more desirable levels. The antlerless portion of the firearms deer season was implemented in 1996 to increase the harvest of female deer, or does, in response to a rapidly growing deer population in many parts of the state. The deer population in most of Missouri is currently at or below desired levels.

According to MDC, eliminating the urban zones portion of the firearms season is being considered because firearms hunting in urban zones is significantly limited by city ordinances and safety concerns. As a result, this portion does not significantly lower deer numbers in areas where urban deer conflicts occur.

The department anticipates that allowing crossbows as a legal method during the archery deer and turkey season will help younger hunters enter the sport and also prolong participation for older hunters. MDC research shows that most deer hunters are in favor of allowing crossbows during the archery season and bow hunters are about equally divided on the topic.

Reducing the buck harvest during archery season from two to one per hunter will make hunters more selective and help more bucks reach older age-classes. Regulations allowing bow hunters to harvest two bucks were implemented in 1988 when there were fewer than 100,000 individuals with a permit to hunt deer during the archery season compared to more than 180,000 in 2013. Also, the harvest of bucks by bow hunters has nearly doubled from 11 percent of the total harvest in 2000 to 19 percent in 2013.

The Department anticipates that simplifying deer hunting regulations on conservation areas to archery only, archery and muzzleloader only, or archery and firearms will both increase hunter satisfaction and allow area managers to adjust regulations based on current deer numbers.

MDC permit fees for nonresident hunters are competitive with those of surrounding states and have remained the same since 2009.

Related articles

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• Share the Harvest deer meat helps feed hungry Missourians (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Conservation authorities investigate shooting of bald eagle (ky3.com)

Help UBM Replenish Stolen Supplies

As a Federation, we help each other in our times of need. Today, the

United Bowhunters of Missouri needs your help. 

Just days before the UBM annual conference, their trailer was stolen from the yard of UBM President, Darren Haverstick. The UBM lost all their merchandise and supplies, including the bows they use to train youth archers. Please don't let this evil deed diminish all the good work the UBM does for archery and bowhunting. We hope you will consider donating what you can to help the UBM replenish their supplies so their efforts with our youth will not be interrupted. 

Donating is simple. Just click the link below, and then please share the link so others may learn of this important fundraiser. 

Donate Here

MDC seeks public input on proposed deer hunting regulation changes

Possible changes involve firearms season lengths, use of crossbows, archery bag limits, regulations on conservation areas, and non-resident permit fees.  

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is seeking public input on proposed changes to the state’s deer hunting regulations for the 2016-2017 hunting season.

For the fall firearms deer season, MDC proposes:

• Maintaining the current timing of the November portion but reducing the length from 11 days to nine days,
• Expanding the late youth firearms weekend from two days to three days and having it begin the Friday after Thanksgiving instead of early January,
• Reducing the length of the antlerless firearms portion from 12 days to three days and beginning it on the first Friday in December, and
• Eliminating the urban zones portion. 

For the fall archery deer and turkey season, MDC proposes:

• Allowing crossbows as a legal method, and
• Reducing the limit of antlered deer during the archery season from two to one.

MDC also proposes simplifying conservation area regulations and also wants public comment on permit fees for nonresidents regarding a possible increase, decrease, or no change in price.

The proposed regulation changes are a result of public input and MDC deer management research and practices. During the summer of 2014, MDC gathered more than 4,000 public comments on deer management and possible regulation changes through open houses, online comments, letters and emails. MDC also surveyed many deer hunters regarding potential regulation changes. MDC staff will present final regulations recommendations to the Conservation Commission in late 2015.

MDC WELCOMES PUBLIC COMMENT

To explain the proposed changes and gather public feedback, MDC will hold the following public meetings around the state from 5 to 8 p.m.:

• Feb. 24 – MDC Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, 1401 N.W. Park Road in Blue Springs;
• Feb. 26 – MDC Powder Valley Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood;
• March 3 – MDC Springfield Nature Center, 4601 S. Nature Center Way in Springfield;
• March 5 -- West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St. in West Plains;
• March 10 – MDC Cape Girardeau Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive in Cape Girardeau;
• March 12 – MDC Northeast Regional Office, 3500 S. Baltimore in Kirksville;
• March 16 – MDC Central Regional Office, 3500 E. Gans Road in Columbia; and
• March 31 – MDC Northwest Regional Office, 701 James McCarthy Drive in St. Joseph.

MDC also welcomes public comments online. To learn more about the proposed regulations, MDC’s deer management plan, past public comments, and to provide comment, visit the Department’s website at mdc.mo.gov/node/28079.

Mail comments to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Attn: Policy Coordination, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

RATIONALE FOR REGULATION CHANGES

MDC expanded the November portion of firearms deer season to 11 days in 1995 in response to a rapidly growing deer population in many parts of the state. Deer numbers in most parts of Missouri are now at or below desired levels. According to MDC biologists, reducing the length of the November portion by two days will help increase those numbers.

The Department’s reasoning for changing the timing of the late youth portion from early January to the weekend after Thanksgiving is that it should increase youth-hunter participation and success as a result of better deer activity and weather conditions. Adding the Friday after Thanksgiving will provide an additional hunting day when schools are closed.

MDC anticipates that reducing the length of the antlerless season from 12 days to three days will help increase deer numbers to more desirable levels. The antlerless portion of the firearms deer season was implemented in 1996 to increase the harvest of female deer, or does, in response to a rapidly growing deer population in many parts of the state. The deer population in most of Missouri is currently at or below desired levels.

According to MDC, eliminating the urban zones portion of the firearms season is being considered because firearms hunting in urban zones is significantly limited by city ordinances and safety concerns. As a result, this portion does not significantly lower deer numbers in areas where urban deer conflicts occur.

The department anticipates that allowing crossbows as a legal method during the archery deer and turkey season will help younger hunters enter the sport and also prolong participation for older hunters. MDC research shows that most deer hunters are in favor of allowing crossbows during the archery season and bow hunters are about equally divided on the topic.

Reducing the buck harvest during archery season from two to one per hunter will make hunters more selective and help more bucks reach older age-classes. Regulations allowing bow hunters to harvest two bucks were implemented in 1988 when there were fewer than 100,000 individuals with a permit to hunt deer during the archery season compared to more than 180,000 in 2013.  Also, the harvest of bucks by bow hunters has nearly doubled from 11 percent of the total harvest in 2000 to 19 percent in 2013. 

The Department anticipates that simplifying deer hunting regulations on conservation areas to archery only, archery and muzzleloader only, or archery and firearms will both increase hunter satisfaction and allow area managers to adjust regulations based on current deer numbers.

MDC permit fees for nonresident hunters are competitive with those of surrounding states and have remained the same since 2009.

Related articles

• MDC reports two new cases of CWD found in Adair and Macon counties (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• MDC workshop shows prescribed fire as land, wildlife management tool (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• 11K Missouri deer killed with alternative methods (mysanantonio.com)
• Correcting 7 Common Myths about Quail and Pheasant Hunting (outdoorhub.com)

MDC offers hunting-skills weekend for families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites families to its first-ever Discover Nature – Families Hunting Skills Weekend workshop on March 13–15 at the Windermere Conference Center on Lake of the Ozarks. 

Families with members age six years and older who are interested in learning how to hunt with firearms and archery equipment, and in finding new ways to spend time outdoors together, will have fun learning skills they need.

The workshop will be conducted in a beautiful lakeside setting with sessions taught by professional instructors.

To qualify for the workshop, family members who are age 11 years and older must complete the first part of Missouri’s two-part hunter-education certification. This initial knowledge portion of hunter education can be completed online, through self-study with a student book, or by registering for and attending a four-hour classroom session. For details on how to complete the knowledge portion of hunter education, go online towww.mdc.mo.gov/node/3722. 

The weekend will begin on Friday afternoon with family members having an opportunity to complete the second part of hunter education – a four-hour skills session in which students demonstrate what they have learned through the first knowledge portion.

On Saturday and Sunday, families will participate in three hands-on skills sessions: Introduction to Firearms, Beginning Archery, and Basic Hunting.

All equipment will be provided. Weekend activities will be held outdoors so participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

The workshop is free to all registered participants, but families are responsible for makingarrangements for their own lodging and meals through Windermere Conference Center. There are several options for lodging, including Lakeview Lodge, motel, family cabins, and camping. Contact Windermere at 573-346-5200 or 1-800-346-2215 for details, or go online to www.windermereusa.org.

To register or for more information on MDC’s Discover Nature – Families Hunting Skills Weekend, go online to www.mdc.mo.gov/node/29866.

Related articles

• MDC workshop shows prescribed fire as land, wildlife management tool (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
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Conservation Department hosts Youth Bowfishing Clinic

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the United Bowhunters of Missouri will host a Youth Bowfishing Clinic for ages 11 to 17 on June 13 and 14 in Cape Girardeau.

“This will be an exciting and educational experience where young people will have an opportunity to learn a new method of fishing with their bow,” said Dee Dee Dockins, an MDC outdoor skills specialist. “Bowfishing is a specialized method of fishing that is very popular in southeast Missouri, so we’re pleased to introduce this new skill to our area’s youth.”

Dockins said participants will learn the basics of bowfishing in the clinic before the fishing field trip. The clinic,  scheduled for Friday, June 13, from 5 to 9 p.m., will feature qualified instructors who will share bowfishing shooting techniques, types of specialized equipment needed, fish identification, bowfishing strategies, fish preparation, regulations and more.  On Saturday, June 14, from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., students will try bowfishing from boats on a private fishing lake in Cape Girardeau County.  

Dockins said this program is a response to rising interest in archery that’s resulted from an increase of school participation in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools program. 

"This event takes the participant from the gymnasium to the water and gives students an opportunity to apply the skills they’ve likely already learned in school,” Dockins said. “Our ultimate goal is to get the kids submerged in nature and learning a valuable outdoor skill.”

Dockins said participants must have some basic experience in archery and be able to draw a 25-pound bow.  An adult guardian is also required to attend with each student.  All equipment will be provided and pre-registration is required in order to attend.  For more information or to register, contact the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at 573-290-5730 or email Dee Dee Dockins atdeedee.dockins@mdc.mo.gov.

MDC to hold MoNASP archery instructor training class in Fayette

The Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program helps build stronger, more confident and accomplished kids.

FAYETTE, Mo.—Teachers, help your students learn responsibility and focus like never 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 21 at Fayette High School. The session is free, but pre-registration by May 20 is required.   

before. TheMissouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding a training workshop for teachers interested in joining Missouri’s National Archery in the Schools program (MoNASP) from

“Nearly everyone, regardless of age, size or physical ability can succeed at archery,” said MDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers.  “This training will give teachers the necessary skills to start an archery program in their school.”

Upon completion of the day-long training, participants will become a certified MoNASP instructor.

MoNASP is modeled on the national archery in the schools program, which began with a simple idea; teach kids the basics of archery as part of a school curriculum. MoNASP teaches Olympic style target archery to students in grades 4-12. Currently, 350 Missouri schools and over 80,000 students participate in this life time sport.

Statistics show school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants self-esteem and physical activity helps kids relate to learning subject matter and gets kids outdoors to discover nature.

Fayette High School is located at 510 N. Cleveland in Fayette.

To register for either workshop, please fill out an online form found here. For more information,  contact Flowers at Brian.Flowers@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 3388.

For more information about MoNASP, visit mdc.mo.gov.

Related articles

• MDC News: UPDATE: More than 1, 600 students now competing at state archery tournament, Friday times added (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• NASP world student-archery championship to be held in St. Louis (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• More than 1,300 student archers to compete in MoNASP state tournament (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Archery hits its mark at the Sports Show (jsonline.com)

Archery tournament was a record-breaker

The contest saw the state record broken three times.

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – The sixth Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program

Shelby Winslow, Lee's Summit,
was the high-scoring shooter at the
2014 MoNASP State Tournament.

(MoNASP) tournament at Tan-Tar-A Resort March 28 and 29 turned into a record-fest in which the state record score fell and fell again, and again.

The tournament brought together nearly 1,267 contestants in grades 4 through 12 from 81 schools to test their skills with bow and arrow. Contestants use identical equipment to shoot 15 arrows at targets from 10 meters and another 15 from 15 meters. An arrow in the 3-inch bull’s eye gets the shooter 10 points, so the maximum possible is 300 points.

Going into this year’s tournament, the record stood at 294 points. Eighth-grader Joe Wilder, of St. Peters, edged that figure up to 295 on Friday afternoon. The following morning, Hunter Berry, a 12th-grader from Sarcoxie, nudged it up another notch to 296.  But Lee’s Summit High School Freshman Shelby Winslow had the last word when she raised the bar to 297 points.

“That’s just two points short of the world record,” says Missouri Department of Conservation Education Outreach Coordinator Eric Edwards, who coordinates MoNASP. “She had shot that score before in local tournaments, so a lot of people knew she was capable of doing it. Sustaining the necessary focus at a big, state-wide event can be difficult, but she pulled it off.”

Focus is essential to success in archery. It also takes discipline to follow the steps in drawing and aiming a bow with proper form. These are skills that anyone can develop. They also are fundamental to academic success.

“Teachers are our best spokesmen,” says Edwards. “They tell absolutely remarkable stories about students who struggled with classwork and behavior problems until they got into NASP. The kids get excited about archery, and since participation in the program depends on good behavior in the classroom, their behavior improves. When shooting, they learn how to focus their attention and apply a process to a challenging task. The next thing you know, their grades improve, and seeing their accomplishments in higher shooting scores and better grades boosts their self-esteem. It’s no wonder teachers love NASP.”

MoNASP participation grew at an amazing rate early in the program’s history, and continues to accelerate. Edwards estimates the number of shooters and spectators at this year’s state tournament at more than 10,000. The Osage Beach Police Department had to be called in to direct traffic.

Asked what is behind this remarkable growth, Edward says, “Kids say it’s just fun. They enjoy spending time with their friends and shooting with them. They like the fact that they all use the same equipment, so kids of all sizes and shapes have an equal chance and can succeed. It’s great for spectators, too. You aren’t 100 yards away from the action. You are right there.”

Scores at the state tournament also are on the rise. Edwards says he thinks this is because students who joined the program while in grade school now have years of experience and practice under their belts. Winslow is an example. She has been part of the program since 4th grade. With another three years of practice, a MoNASP shooter could post a perfect score of 300.

“I am so impressed with the scores this year” says Edwards. “Each year the scores just get better and better. Kids from Missouri should have a very strong chance at making the podium at the national tournament in May.”

Missouri will send 500 shooters to the national NASP tournament May 9 and 10 in Louisville, Ky., where they will compete against 10,000 other shooters.

MoNASP is an affiliate of the National Archery in the Schools Program. It is coordinated by the Conservation Department and the Conservation Federation of Missouri in partnership with more than 300 participating schools and numerous state and local supporting organizations.

Sarcoxie R-II High School, whose MoNASP program got started just two years ago, won its team division for the second year in a row. George Guffey Elementary School in Fenton has dominated the team competition, winning first place all six years Missouri has held a state tournament.  Following are other individual and team winners.

High School Team Division

1st: Sarcoxie R-II, Sarcoxie

2nd: Helias High School, Jefferson City

3rd: Crane High School, Crane

Middle School Team Division

1st: Summit Lakes, Lee’s Summit

2nd: Hillsboro Junior High, Hillsboro

3rd: Holy Rosary School, Clinton

Elementary School Team Division

1st: George Guffey Elementary School, Fenton

2nd: Sarcoxie Elementary, Sarcoxie

3rd: St. Joseph Cathedral, Jefferson City

Individual High School Males

1st Hunter Berry, Sarcoxie R-2

2nd Skylar Price, Maries Co. R-2

3rd Colton Fry, Salem High School

4th Micheal Cook, Maries Co. R-2

5th Brice Dobbs, Sarcoxie R-2

Individual High School Females

1st Shelby Winslow, Lee’s Summit west

2nd Lexie Vaught, Crane High School

3rd Ariana Goddard, Sarcoxie R-2

4th Katelyn Stewart, Logan-Rogersville High School

5th Sarah Rains, St. Clair High School

Individual Middle School Males

1st Joe Wilder, St. Peter Inter-parish

2nd Bailey Vanbuskirk, Holy Rosary

3rd Jacob Winslow, Summit Lakes Middle School

3rd Coby Ingram, Summit Lakes Middle School

3rd Ely Lam, Holy Rosary

Individual Middle School Females

1st Lauren Smith, Summit Lakes Middle School

2nd McKenna Rice, Summit Lakes Middle School

3rd Kennedy Covinsky, Summit Lakes Middle School

4th Jenna Newell, Ridgewood Middle School

5th Hayley Hays, Holy Rosary School

Individual Elementary School Males

1st Luke Schroeder, St. Thomas the Apostle

2nd Sylas Stranger, George Guffey Elementary

3rd Zane Compton, Crane Elementary

4th Justin Brooks, Sarcoxie Elementary

5th Mason Crew, George Guffey Elementary

Individual Elementary School Females

1st Sadie Baich, Longview Farm Elementary

2nd Joy Missey, George Guffey Elementary

3rd Dillyn Wood, Windsor

4th Morgan Luebbering, St. Thomas the Apostle

5th Jaden Green, Sarcoxie Elementary

Complete tournament scores are available at: http://bit.ly/1kpwnkl. For more information on MoNASP, visitwww.mdc.mo.gov/node/27685.

Related articles

• More than 1,430 students compete in state archery tournament (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

More than 1,300 student archers to compete in MoNASP state tournament

Public is welcome to attend March 28 and 29 state tournament at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – More than 1,300 student archers from schools around the stateMarch 28 and 29at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. The public is welcome to attend in support of participants.

will compete at the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) fifth annual state tournament on

MoNASP is an affiliate of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. MoNASP is coordinated through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) in partnership with more than 330 participating schools and numerous supporting organizations throughout the state. More than 67,000 Missouri students participate in the program.

More than 4,100 student archers around the state have competed so far this winter in local tournaments with the hope of qualifying for one of the 1,300 spots at the state tournament. Student archers who shoot qualifying scores at the state tournament will earn spots at the NASP national tournament this spring in Louisville, Ky.

“Missouri is a great place to hunt and fish, and now it’s a great place for shooting sports too,” said MDC MoNASP Coordinator Eric Edwards. “MoNASP not only teaches students the lifetime recreational skills that come from archery, but it also helps them excel in the classroom.”

For more information, including participating schools and communities, visit mdc.mo.gov and search “MoNASP.”