BULLSEYE! NASP State Champions

Co-authored by Archery Coaches, James ‘Eddie’ Gray (EMS) and Jeff Mullins (EEC)

Elkview Middle School (EMS) Archery Team and the Elk Elementary Center (EEC) captured the 2021 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Championships in the middle school and the elementary division.

Sixth grader Max Moore was the school’s first ever individual State Champion in the Middle School Male Division. Awards also included seventh grader Gavin Sample at second place, eighth grader Riley Peyton at fourth place, seventh grader Cadyn Holstine at fifth place and seventh grader Blake Goff at sixth place This outstanding group of young archers rounded out Elkview Middle School’s Top 10 finishers in the Male Division.

In the Female Division eighth grader Kara Stephens placed fifth, while seventh graders Lilli Slater and Jaedynn Sweeney were sixth and seventh and eighth grader Brooke Tanner wrapped up the Top 10 finishers with 10th place.

The Team is currently ranked 12th in the Nation and has qualified for the National Tournament in May and the World Open Tournament in June.

The Archery Team qualified and participated in 14 out of 16 state tournaments during the past 16 years with four third-place finishes and this year’s first-time State Championship win. Under the direction of Coach Eddie Gray, who has been the head coach since the program started in 2006, the team has participated in 9 out of 13 national tournaments held in Louisville, KY and 3 out of 12 world tournaments. They completed their 2021 season this April 2021 with a first place and a final season record of 38-0. Assistant coaches include Raquel Gray, Ron Moore and Jeff Mullins.

EMS Archers include: Andrew Arbogast, Blake Goff, Cadyn Holstine, Austin Lacy, Kaylor Lovejoy, Brooke Miller, Carli Monk, Max Moore, Tanner O’Neill, Tyler O’Neill, Riley Peyton, Gavin Sample, Dakota Sands, Annabelle Shaver, Lilli Slater, Noah Sodaro, Kara Stephens, Jaedynn Sweeney, Brooke Tanner, Olivia Thomas, Kalee Wiseman, and Lilly Youell.

Elk Elementary Center also won the state championship at the NASP State Competition in the elementary division (grades 4 and 5). They scored a total of 2974 out of 3600 points. Coach Jeff Mullins and Assistant Coach Ryan Baldwin were excited to see their young team capture first place. Coach Mullins said, “This is our third year as a team, and we really haven’t played a full season yet. The first year we didn’t start until February, last year we were interrupted by COVID, and this year we started late due to COVID regulations.”

Max Moore and his first place award

Last year Elk Elementary Center’s archery team took second place at the NASP state tournament. Coach Mullins said, “After placing second last year amid the short COVID pandemic season, we had high hopes for this season. We are really proud of this hardworking group of fifth graders who captured the championship this year.”

Awards included: Female division: 10th place - Cambrie Watts; 6th place - Maysen Fletcher; 4th place - Rexee Douglas-Hunter; 3rd place - Joanie Abbott and 2nd place - Penny Byrd. In the Boys division: 10th place - Keegan Perdew; 8th place - Wyatt Painter; 6th place - Gage Hayes; 3rd place - Landin Sample; and 1st place - Jayson Bosshard who is the first state champion from Elk Elementary Center.

Additional team members are: Charlee Welch, Braley Slaughter, Noah Douglas, Zaine George, Elijah Longwell, Michael Wehrle, Aleks Woody, and Bryson Young. EEC is ranked 21st in the nation and has also qualified for the National Tournament in May and the World Open Tournament in June.

If anyone would like to help offset the cost of attending the World Tournament this summer, they can send a donation to Elkview Middle School or Elk Elementary Center, Attn: Archery Department.