PRATT – More than 500 student athletes will be heading to Pratt on Saturday, April 7, 2018 to compete at the state level, but they won’t need cleats or kneepads – instead, they’ll need a bow and arrow. The 9th annual Kansas Archery in the Schools State Tournament will be held at Blythe Family Fitness Center, 219 W 5th St, Pratt, where students from the across the state will compete for school bragging rights and academic scholarships. Seniors will shoot for two $1,000 scholarships, made possible by the Kansas Bowhunters Association (KBA), Peoples Bank in Pratt, and the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). 

This year’s tournament is hosted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), and spectators will have an opportunity to visit with department staff, as well as members of the KBA, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever.

Pratt Rotary Club members played a vital role in bringing the tournament to the Pratt community by providing a $3,000 district grant which covered the cost of a 200-foot safety curtain.  

Archers will compete for individual and team honors, as well as the opportunity to compete at the National Archery in the Schools competition. Divisions include Elementary School (grades 4-5), Middle School (grades 6-8), and High School (grades 9-12). Each competitor will shoot 30 arrows over two rounds. Rounds consist of fifteen arrows from 10 meters and fifteen arrows from 15 meters. A bullseye scores 10 points, so a perfect score would be 300. A team is made up of 12-24 shooters, and the team score is the sum of the top 12 scores.

Operating under the umbrella of KDWPT and NASP, the Kansas Archery in the Schools program promotes international-style target archery among students in grades 4-12. NASP introduces archery to young people, teaching a life skill that is fun and safe.

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