3/12/2009
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) will host its fourth annual West Virginia Archery in the Schools (AIS) Program State Tournament at the Summersville National Guard Armory on March 28, 2009, according to DNR Director Frank Jezioro.
The tournament will run from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and will be followed at 4 p.m. by the awards ceremony.
“Since our pilot program began in the fall of 2004, there has been a tremendous amount of interest from schools around the state,” said Jezioro. “From just a handful of participating schools the first year, we now have more than 166 participating schools in the program. It is estimated that approximately 35,000 students have gone through the Archery in the Schools Program in just five years, making it one of DNR’s largest and fastest growing educational programs.”
Students from 41 of the following divisional school teams will participate in this year’s tournament:
Beckley Stratton Middle
Buckhannon-Upshur Middle (Elementary)
Buckhannon-Upshur Middle (Middle)
Cabell Midland High
Cameron High (Middle)
Cameron High (High)
Chapmanville Middle (Elementary)
Chapmanville Middle (Middle)
Chapmanville Regional High
Duval Middle
East Hardy High
Guyan Valley Middle (Elementary)
Guyan Valley Middle (Middle)
Hurricane High
John Marshall High
Kenna Elementary
Madison Middle (Elementary)
Madison Middle (Middle)
Meadow Bridge Elementary
Moundsville Middle
Nellis Elementary
New Life Christian (Elementary)
New Life Christian (Middle)
New Life Christian (High)
Nicholas County High
Parkersburg South High
Ripley Middle (Elementary)
Ripley Middle (Middle)
Ripley High
Scott High
Shady Spring Middle
Sherard Middle
Summers County High
Summersville Elementary
Summersville Middle
Tucker County High
Westwood Middle
WV School for the Blind (Middle)
WV School for the Blind (High)
WV School for the Deaf (Middle)
WV School for the Deaf (High)
“It is possible that this year’s tournament will be the single largest indoor youth archery tournament in the history of the state, with more than 400 students participating,” said Program Coordinator Jerry Westfall. “We at DNR are very encouraged about the success of the Archery in the Schools Program. It provides students an exciting activity giving them a life-skill and possibly leading to future indoor or outdoor archery endeavors. This tournament would not be possible without the generosity of the City of Summersville, several wildlife and archery organizations, and a host of volunteers and interested parents. I encourage everyone to come out and see how successful this tournament and the Archery in the Schools Program have become.”
The tournament is free to all spectators. Tournament competition is open only to schools that have received the DNR-sponsored AIS training. For more information on the WV Archery in the Schools Program or to attend the next training, visit online www.wvdnr.gov/archery.
Contact Information
Jerry Westfall
304-558-2771
wildlife@wvdnr.gov