In the video below, Brianna Juneau reports on young archers in Great Falls who are heading to compete in a national tournament:
For the third consecutive year, students from all three Great Falls high schools have hit the mark, winning the state championships in March and qualifying for the National Archery in Schools Tournament in Utah.
The combined team from Great Falls Public Schools, known as the Bigfoot Archery Program, earned their spots after strong performances at the state NASP (National Archery in Schools Program) Tournament, garnering a grand score of 3134.
"We're going to Utah for the third year in a row. We are state champions for the third time that the competition is getting better every year. More kids in Montana are taking up and doing this archery in our school program," said Andrew Dodge.
Students from all three Great Falls high schools combine to form one team that practices twice weekly. This unified approach has fostered a supportive environment that transcends traditional school rivalries.
"I like that it doesn't have so much of a school rivalry. I think it's fun to have more of like Great Falls unified. So I think support is nice," said Isabella Hougie.
Students say support is one of the most important factors driving them to compete against the top student archers across the country.
"They're a team when they come and do this and so that support of each other, they know that it's a team sport too. Even while you're trying to do your very personal best. So most of them are going to their scores are going to count. So we need them all to be focused on getting the best score they can," said Dugan Coburn, GFPS Bigfoot Archery Program coach.
With the last of their practices ending on Thursday, the team feels prepared for the national competition.
"I think pretty prepared. I think every year I play a little better," said Dodge.
"The whole entire time I'm shooting, I just try to make my mind as clear as possible and just try to stay super calm and composed," said Hougie.
NASP emphasizes education and engagement through archery and is continuing to gain popularity in Montana schools. For many students, it's more than just a sport.
"Oh, it's it's the best feeling ever. So it's nice to know that, like, people in the community, like, are proud of us. And it just feels good to know that our whole team just made it," said Hougie.
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