The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) held the National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament recently at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville.
Choctawhatchee High School from Fort Walton Beach emerged as champions in the High School division with a team score of 3,301. The team’s score was the highest across all divisions, making them the overall champions for the event. Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., a homeschool association from Brandon, took second place in the High School division with a score of 3,220, while Summerlin Academy from Bartow secured third place with 3,211.
In the Middle School category, Edward W. Bok Academy-South from Lake Wales finished first with a score of 3,212. Tampa Bay H.E.A.T.’s Middle School division placed second with 3,207, and Meigs Middle School from Shalimar came in third with a score of 3,188.
Tampa Bay H.E.A.T. won the Elementary School division with a score of 3,057. Liza Jackson Preparatory School from Fort Walton Beach earned second place with a score of 3,004, and Saint Mary Catholic School, also from Fort Walton Beach, placed third with 2,872.
For individual achievements, the top-scoring male and female archers, Marek Tokash and Abigail Cooper, both from Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., were awarded $5,000 scholarships for their scores of 291. The second-place winners, receiving $3,000 scholarships, were Jayce Nelson from Meigs Middle School with a score of 290 and Sophia Harper from Choctawhatchee High School with a score of 285. Third-place winners Zavier Cruz from Twisted Arrow Archery and Kaylee Smith from Tampa Bay H.E.A.T. received $2,000 scholarships with scores of 288 and 284, respectively.
The individual top performers in the Elementary School category were Zachariah Cruz as the top male archer with 273 and Kiara Diaz as the top female with 282. In the Middle School division, Jayce Nelson topped the males with 290, and Abigail Cooper led the females with 291. Among High School competitors, Marek Tokash scored 291 to lead the males, while Sophia Harper’s 285 was the highest for females.
The competition is part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), which aims to improve educational performance among students in grades 4 to 12. The program seeks to enhance skills such as focus, discipline, and self-control, promoting successful academic and personal development. It provides students with an inclusive sport that teaches discipline, respect, and self-control, often encouraging family and community engagement.
For more information, contact the National Archery in the Schools Program at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
