After winning big at the state level, two Middle Park schools are gearing up to send their archery teams to nationals.

Both Granby Elementary and East Grand Middle School came in first place at the Colorado state tournament through the National Archery in the Schools Program. A slate of top-10 individual finishers qualified for nationals on April 24-25 in Sandy, Utah.

“It’s a pretty incredible experience for the kids and families,” said Jen Fanning, a parent volunteer and coach who has supported both schools’ programs for the past three years. “I just want those kids to go and soak up the experience. I don’t really care how they do. I just want them to go and have fun.”

Learning the art of archery

Elementary school students first learned archery basics in physical education classes led by P.E. teacher Maggie Keller. Five years ago, Keller and Jeff Behncke introduced the sport through the national school program with support from Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Division of Wildlife. They decided to submit student scores to a virtual tournament and later introduced students to “state shoots.” From there, momentum built quickly.

In 2022, four Granby Elementary School students finished in the top 10 individually at the state level and qualified for nationals. As those students transitioned to middle school, Keller worked with Fanning and other parent volunteers to launch a middle school program. That program is now coming up on its fourth year.

Last year marked the first time both the elementary and middle school teams won state and advanced to nationals together. This year, they did it again.

“It shows the momentum and the continuous commitment of the kids and families,” Fanning said.

State champions and top finishers

To qualify for nationals as a team, a school must finish first in the state and meet participation minimums, including at least 25 student archers and representation from both genders. Individual archers can qualify by finishing in the top 10 in their division.

In these archery competitions, athletes shoot three rounds, or “ends,” of five arrows at 10 meters and three ends at 15 meters. With scoring from zero to 10 points per arrow, the maximum possible score is 300.

Granby students delivered across the board. Middle schooler Jaylee Behncke, who is homeschooled but competes with the middle school team, claimed the state championship in her division with a score of 272 out of 300 possible points. At the elementary level, Taylor Hickam won the girls’ state title at 248 points, while Colton McNertney captured the boys’ championship at 249.

All three were top-10 qualifiers last year as well. But according to Fanning, scores only tell part of the story.

“There were some kids who could barely make the arrow go 10 feet at the beginning,” she said. “Watching that trajectory and seeing that progress… that’s pretty cool. It’s building on momentum.”

Building skills and respect

Students first learn to be archers not with bows, but with strings that teach proper draw length, anchor points and technique. They spend about two weeks learning safety, range etiquette and fundamentals before ever holding a bow.

“It really helps teach respect for each other, for the weapon and for the range,” Fanning said.

This year, officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife also visited to help instruct students during the unit.

“It was really incredible to watch,” she said. “This is the first year I’ve seen that level of teaching for the kids from the beginning.”

Practice doesn’t stop in P.E. Many students arrive at school early at 7 a.m. multiple days a week for extra practice sessions with Keller.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Fanning said. “There are a lot of volunteers and parent coaches, but it wouldn’t happen without a P.E. teacher.”

Looking to nationals and beyond

Nearly 2,800 student archers competed at nationals last year, creating a large pool of competition for the prospective national competitors at East Grand schools.

For Fanning, the potential trip to Sandy would be an experience beyond the national competition.

“Students get to experience what it means to compete at such a young age, surrounded by so many people,” she said. “It’s really incredible.”

Locally, the future of archery in East Grand is expanding. Fraser Elementary recently received a grant to start its own archery program, which would become a feeder into the middle school team. Organizers are also working to launch a high school program as soon as next year, creating archery opportunities for 4th-12th graders.