ALBUQUERQUE – In March, 85 New Mexico youth archers competing at the 2023 New Mexico National Archery in the School Program (NASP) State Championship qualified to participate in the Western Nationals Championship. Almost two thousand youth archers from 25 states competed for individual and team awards at the NASP Western Nationals Championship held at the Mountain America Center in Sandy, Utah, April 28-29, 2023.

Bell Savary, a fifth grader from Maggie Cordova Elementary School in Rio Rancho, won the elementary bullseye division by earning a score of 275 out of 300. Savary outcompeted 182 elementary females for the first-ever NASP national title won by a youth representing New Mexico. Other New Mexico archers earning top-10 status were:

• Aiden McConnell from Southwest Aeronautics, Mathematics and Science (SAMS) Academy won fifth place in the high school male division with 290 points;
• Ashlynn McGinnis from Red Mountain Middle School won third place in the middle school female division with 288 points;
• Luis Armendariz from Red Mountain Middle School won 10th place in the middle school male division with 283 points.

Overall, youth from 13 New Mexico schools attended the 2023 NASP Western Nationals Championship, including: Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics and Science (AIMS) at University of New Mexico, Atrisco Heritage Academy, Axiom Christian School, Cibola High School, Corrales Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School, Estancia Valley Classical Academy, George I Sanchez Community School, Maggie Cordova Elementary, Red Mountain Middle School, Rio Rancho Middle School, SAMS Academy, and Tierra Antigua Elementary.

NASP is a national in-school archery program that introduces target archery to 4th -12th grade students. The program is highly standardized to maintain archery’s “best in sports” safety record and is easy to teach and enjoy by students of nearly every ability and background. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is the coordinating agency that provides training for educators as basic archery instructors and offers grant money to help schools purchase NASP archery kits.

Public, private and home schools throughout New Mexico interested in starting a NASP archery program can contact Bruce Atencio, archery education coordinator, with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish at Bruce.Atencio@dgf.nm.gov.