Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) — March 6, 2025 — Teams from Valley View Public Schools and Green County Tech Schools are among the 90 teams poised to compete in the 17th annual Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) Archery in the Schools (AIS) State Championship this weekend.

The competition will be held March 7-8 at the Hot Springs Convention Center and Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.

The AIS is part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), which targets students in fourth through twelfth grades and teaches students archery.

The AIS is comprised of the top 30 teams in three age-based divisions that participated in qualifying tournaments held from Nov. 23, 2024, to Feb. 1, 2025. The divisions include the Elementary School Division (grades fourth and fifth), Middle School Division (grades sixth through eighth), and High School (ninth through twelfth grades).

Aimee Swaim, AIS program coordinator for the AGFC, said 3,364 students were competing in 25 different qualifying events for the bull’s-eye competition.

“Teams could enter as many qualifying tournaments as they wanted, and we selected the top 30 teams in each division based on their best score,” she said.

The Valley View Archery teams are led by head coach Klynt Carver and assistant coaches Jeff Taylor and Emily Taylor.

“Coach Jeff Taylor and I are very proud of the progress the teams have made this year,” Carver said. “We began practices this year with an archery camp on Sept. 9 and our first tournament was on Dec. 7 at Maynard. We knew we had a special group of young archers very early in the season. There was a total of 75 students that participated in the program this year. The sport is gaining traction, especially with the younger students.”

Qualifying teams by division from Valley View Public Schools include:

Elementary School Division from the Valley View Elementary Team (fourth and fifth graders): Alexya Cox, Naveen Patel, Luke Watson, Elleigh Anderson, Emme Breeding, Colton Chester, Rex Riggs, Max Cunningham, Carter Steel, Amelia Thompson, Rylan Simpkins, Will Schrantz, Merritt Wheatley, Cataleya Puga, Oliver Duckert, Gideon Heilleman, Decker Hess, Emma Woodruff, Olivia Doyle, Jubi Lee, Ethan Argo, Finley Maners, Ana Dunavant, and Luke Tyson.

Middle School Division from the Valley View Junior High Team (sixth through eighth graders): Caleigh Argo, Harper June Brown, Jana Caang, Kara Case, Kathleen Du Plessis, Gavin Dunigan, Mona Fan, Lindley Gehring, Cason Gremard, Abigail Jenkins, Brandt Mallett, Brody Manning, Ryder McCormick, Abigail Pieroni, Yexler Posey, Raeleigh Robinson, Lexie Russell, Allyson Smith, Jessica Vestal, Jackson White, Kate White, Seth White, Zeke Williams, and Murray Wills.

Green County Tech also had qualifying teams from GCT Elementary, GCT Middle, and GCT High Schools, but JRN was unable to get in contact with GCT coach for names or additional comments.

Six additional archers on teams that didn’t qualify were also given invitations to shoot at the state championship.

“There are a few individuals who stood out during qualifying tournaments, but their team didn’t make it,” Swaim said. “So, we allowed six archers who scored 280 or higher (out of 300) who weren’t on qualifying teams to shoot on an individual basis at the state championship.”

Among the individual qualifiers was Valley View High School student Reed Jackson. Jackson qualified by scoring a 280 at a tournament in Brookland on Jan. 18.

The elementary and middle school divisions compete on Friday beginning at 9 a.m., with the day expected to wrap up at 4 p.m. with trophy presentations. The senior division will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and trophies are expected to be presented at about 2 p.m.

For more information, visit the Archery in the Schools website.