On March 11, 2025, Gina Myers, the coach of the Sandites Archery Team, received exciting news that her team had qualified for Nationals in Sandy, Utah. Not bad for a program that Coach Myers started at Clyde Boyd Middle School in August 2023. But what exactly are Nationals, and how did the team qualify?
In Oklahoma, there are four regions for the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). Each year, a state tournament is held, and to qualify, teams must compete in at least two tournaments and submit their scores. Based on these scores, teams can qualify for one of two state tournaments: Tier 2 (the lower tier) or Grand State (the top tier). Only 25 teams are invited to each. Last year, the Sandites Archery Team qualified for Tier 2, and their ultimate goal this year was to qualify for Grand State — and they did it! This was a significant milestone for the program. At Grand State, the team achieved a personal best, and among the four regions in Oklahoma, the top 25 teams earned an invitation to NASP Nationals. That score earned the team a coveted spot! It is extraordinary for a program to perform so well this early in its development, and it’s all thanks to a stellar group of archers and their supportive families. This has been an incredible journey, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see the students excel in a new sport for their district.
On April 24, Coach Myers and members of the Sandites Archery Team traveled to Utah. The team’s wonderful families are making the most of their time in the state, enjoying everything that Utah and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. Highlights include a visit to Pike’s Peak, fishing for trout, exploring the Golden Spike National Historic Site, and playing in the snow.
Day 2 was filled with activities: the group visited the Living Planet Aquarium, the Rush Funplex, and the Great Salt Lake. Some team members visited the zoo, while one student even had the opportunity to check out exotic cars. In just three days, they packed in a lot of fun and adventure!
Day 3 was the big tournament day. Overall, it was the best experience for the team. They broke their personal record, achieving a team score of 3,036. Several team members also set personal bests, overcoming the nerves that come with competing in a high-caliber tournament. Coach Myers is incredibly proud of all of them and grateful to be part of their journey. If the team’s progress continues, based on their improvement from the previous year, they could be in the top five at Nationals next year. And Coach Myers believes this is the team that can make it happen!
None of this success would have been possible without the generous support of the following sponsors:
The Gibbs Family Foundation
Mike Bailey, CPA
ICare Bodyworks
Skyline Accessories
Cust-O-Fab
The team extends its sincere gratitude to all of these sponsors for their support in making this exciting journey possible.
