Two Local Youths Take First Place in the Maryland State NASP Tournament
By Marylou Baker
The 2026 Maryland State NASP (National Archery in Schools Program) tournament was held in Westminster, Maryland, on March 13 and March 14. Several local schools participated in the tournament, including Emmitsburg Elementary, Thurmont Middle, Thurmont Elementary, Sabillasville Environmental, and Wolfsville Elementary. The tournament is divided into six different divisions: elementary, middle, and high school, which are then divided into boys and girls sections. Archers can compete in traditional bullseye targets and/or 3-D targets.
Our local area now has two state champions in the 3-D archery division! Thurmont Middle School student Levi Baker placed first in the 3-D shoot for middle school boys, scoring 271. Emmitsburg Elementary School student Bristol Cope placed first in the 3-D shoot for elementary school girls, scoring 231. The maximum score is 300. By placing in the top ten in the state, both of these archers have qualified for the Eastern Nationals NASP Archery Tournament, which is held in Louisville, Kentucky, in May.
Levi Baker also placed third in the bullseye competition for middle school boys.
Emmitsburg Elementary had a very strong showing at the state tournament by placing third as a team in the 3-D competition. Multiple students qualified for nationals by placing in the top ten.
Bristol Cope — 3-D (1st) and bullseye (4th)
Jack Wivell — 3-D (6th) and bullseye (5th)
John Clements — bullseye (8th)
Shelby Baker — bullseye (8th)
Addi Lingg — 3-D (10th)
Aiden Koontz, who attends Sabillasville Environmental School, placed sixth in the elementary bullseye division for boys. While this article listed the top ten finishers in the local area, all of the archery teams performed well, and many personal bests were set during the tournament. Good luck to all the archers as they prepare for the national competition!
Thank you to Gary Burgess, PE teacher at Emmitsburg Elementary School, who started the NASP Program at Emmitsburg and continues to help the program grow at Thurmont Middle and Catoctin High. Archery doesn’t discriminate based on popularity, athletic skill, gender, size, or academic ability. The National Archery in the Schools Program is an in-school program aimed at improving educational performance among students in grades four through twelve. Students are learning focus, self-control, discipline, patience, and the life lessons required to be successful in the classroom and in life.
