Some 2,300 students from nearly 150 Iowa schools are in Des Moines this weekend to take aim in the state archery tournament. Zach Benttine, the Iowa DNR’s archery coordinator, says there are two types of competition for the students in grades four through 12.
This program didn’t exist 20 years ago, but archery has become extremely popular in Iowa’s schools, with more than 4,600 children taking part this past year.
About 250 Iowa schools teach the course, with about 150 of them running the after-school program. Top Iowa finishers this weekend will go on to the National Archery in the Schools Program Tournament. The tournament starts Friday afternoon.
Prizes include more than $20,000 in college scholarships based on performance at the state tournament, while another $10,000 will be awarded outside of the competition to archers based on academics, essays, and other criteria. Teams are also aiming for some $18,000 in archery equipment for their schools. The state tournament will be held in the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center and the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
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