CHET Wins High School, Whitworth Buchanan Middle and Christiana Elementary Take Titles at 2013 NASP State Championships

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.  --- CHET claimed the high school state championship crown while Rutherford County’s Whitworth Buchanan Middle School and Christiana Elementary won their respective titles at the Seventh Annual Tennessee National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Championships.

More than 1,400 students representing 70 schools participated in the event held at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum which concluded Friday afternoon. Two flights opened the tournament on Thursday while six flights were held Friday.

The top team, teams meeting the division qualifying score, and top five male and female individuals in each division, automatically receive a bid to compete in the National NASP Tournament. The national championships will be held May 10-11, 2013 in Louisville, Ky.

CHET, comprised of home school students in the Nashville area, ended Van Buren County’s four-year reign as champions of the high school division. The three top finishers all surpassed Van Buren County’s winning total from last year. CHET fired a score of 3,242, 81 points ahead of last year’s winning total. White County High was second with a 3,231 and Siegel High from Murfreesboro was third with a 3,201.

In the middle school division, Rockvale was initially announced as the winner, but upon further review following the tournament, Whitworth Buchanan was declared the champion. Whitworth Buchanan fired a team total of 3,144 while Rockvale had a 3,134. White County was third with a 2,976.

Christiana, which was second to last year’s county rival Buchanan by 15 points, moved into the top spot this year. Christiana had a winning score of 2,965, an improvement of 253 points over its 2012 total. Warren County’s Dibrell Elementary was second with a 2,868, and Rockvale came in third at 2,765.

CHET’s Cailyn Simonis was the top overall and female shooter with a 289. Van Buren County‘s Hunter Mason, last year’s top overall shooter, was the top male shooter with a 287. 

Team awards were presented following Friday’s competition to the top three teams in each division. Medals were presented to the top five female and male finishers in the high school and middle divisions and to the top five finishers from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Each student shot 30 arrows, 15 from 10 meters and 15 from 15 meters with a maximum score of 300. 

In the elementary division, the top five girls in the fourth grade were Anna Bryant (264, Rockvale), Natalie Stapiniski (Buchanan), Grace Miller (234, Rockvale), Maddy Williams (225, Rockvale), and Morgan Lupfer (221, Christiana). The top five fourth grade boys were Eli Morris (254, Savannah Christian Academy), Cole Duggin (257, Christiana), Landon Harris (256, LaVergne), Kyle Lambert (253, Savannah Christian Acemy), and Tucker Gharing (252, Christiana).

The top shooters for girls in the fifth grade were Gracie Forren (264, Christiana),Emily McCutcheon (251, Boyd-Buchanan), Bailey Moore (249, Christiana), Ruth San Diego (246, Browns Chapel), and Brandy Delaney (244, Savannah Christian).

In the sixth grade, the top girls were Abby Dishner (269, Harrogate Forge Ridge School), Delaney Simonis (267, CHET), Madison Baumgartner (261, Whitworth Buchanan), Graci Oakley (259, Rockvale), and Korey Taylor (258, Whitworth Buchanan).

In the middle school division, the girls were led by Cailyn Simonis (289, Chet), Laurel Thompson (281, CHET), Avery Enroth (277, Rockvale), Sara Carmichael (276, Whitworth Buchanan), and Jacklynn Bryant (270, White County). The top five middle school boys were Hayden Robbins (286, White County), Elijah Barritt (274, Rockvale), Cameron Dixon (270, White County), Kenlyn McGuire (269, Van Buren County), and Jordan Qualls (268, Oakland).

Kayla Hillis (Van Buren County) had the tournament’s second highest overall score and led the high school division with a 287. Rounding out the top high female shooters were Anna Buri (285, CHET), Natalee Boles (279, Siegel), Sydney Incorvaia (276, Hendersonville), and Laura Kulp (275, Siegel).

In the male high school division, completing the top five behind Hunter Mason were Travis Nelson (282, Bledsoe County), Sam Pate (280, Hendersonville), Nicolai Medvecky (278, Bledsoe County), and Andrew Sparks (278, White County).

Sponsored by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee began NASP in late 2004 with 12 pilot schools participating in the program. More than 270 schools now participate in the program. NASP is a 2-8 week curriculum taught during school that teaches International style target archery.

If a school or teacher is interested in starting a NASP program, please contact Don Crawford, Assistant Chief of Information and Education at Don.Crawford@tn.gov or (615) 781-6542 or Matt Clarey, Regional Training Coordinator in TWRA Region III at Matt.Clarey@tn.gov or (931) 484-9571.

(Revised standings attached below)

Photos: (Click on images to view larger)

CHET claimed the high school title, Whitworth Buchanan Middle and Christiana Elementary won their respective divisions at the 2013 Tennessee NASP State Championship. TWRA's Matt Clarey is pictured with the overall top male shooter Hunter Mason from Van Buren County. CHET’s Cailyn Simonis was the top overall and female shooter but she was unable to attend Friday evening's awards ceremony.

---TWRA---