MoNASP 2024 State Tournament returns March 20-23 in Branson

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) invite the public to support Missouri student archers at the 2024 Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) State Tournament March 20-23 at the Branson Convention Center in Branson. MDC and MCHF will be hosting the 16th annual event.

The MoNASP State Tournament has seen tremendous growth and is the second largest state archery tournament in the nation. More than 4,700 Bullseye and 1,800 3D student archers from more than 200 schools across Missouri are scheduled to compete in the state tournament after shooting qualifying scores through various local MoNASP tournaments over the past year.

Trophies, medals, and scholarships, sponsored by MCHF, will be presented to the top teams and individuals at the state tournament. MCHF is awarding $30,000 in scholarships to the top five male and female archers in both the Bullseye and 3D Tournaments. These scholarships are awarded to students to be used for their education endeavors after high school graduation.

Missouri archers competing at the state tournament are eligible to participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Western and Eastern National Tournaments. Top teams and individuals will again be selected from the combined results of both national tournaments to have the chance to register for the Championship event. Top individual winners from the results of both national tournaments will compete for the NASP Scholarship Shoot-Off to be held at the end of the June Championship Tournament.

In addition to the traditional individual and team scholarships awarded at the national events, NASP will continue awarding up to 120 additional $500 bullseye scholarships randomly to participants. Upon graduation, archers can apply these funds to any post-secondary educational or training program of their choice. Learn more at nasptournaments.org.

Supporters are invited to attend the state tournament for a fee. In addition to the tournament competition, the event will include a variety of family-friendly activities for attendees such as turkey hunting seminars, Wonders of Wildlife animal encounters, bow case airbrushing, a tradeshow with a variety of vendors, and more. For details on activities, admission fees, hotels, volunteering, and more, visit MCHF online at mochf.org.

MoNASP ARCHERS

MoNASP continues to be a national leader academically and competitively. Last year, schools across the state reported 83,526 students participating in the program. Numerous Missouri schools placed in the top ten in each division at NASP Eastern and Western National Tournaments in 2023. Currently, eight Missouri teams are ranked in the top ten in the nation in their respective divisions for the 2023-2024 season. Twenty-four Missouri archers are in the top ten rankings for individual high scores in their respective divisions.

MoNASP is coordinated through MDC, MCHF, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri in partnership with more than 800 participating schools and numerous supporting organizations throughout the state. More than 83,000 student archers are participating in the program and more than 200,000 Missouri students have participated since it started. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) and is an in-school program for grades 4-12 that teaches the basics of archery, along with the confidence, self-control, patience, and discipline necessary to success both behind the bow and in school and life. It provides an engaging activity that’s inclusive of nearly all children, regardless of age or physical ability. Statistics show school archery programs improve students’ school attendance, increase their self-esteem and physical activity, and help kids get outside.

Learn more about MoNASP at education.mdc.mo.gov/monasp.