Prosser School District's Whitstran Elementary Archery 4th and 5th Grade Teams competed in the National Archery Schools Program (NASP), Washington State Championship, placing two participants in the top ten for a chance to advance to the national competition in Kentucky in May.

Olympics Day 1 - Archery
Getty Images Olympics Day 1 Archery
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Thirty-seven schools around the state participated in the tournament . Among the fourteen elementary schools, Whitstran's 5th grade team earned 3rd place in the entire state competition. Three students earned Top 12 in their division and two who placed in the top ten, 4th grader Walter Olmstead and  5th grader Liam Thompson, are headed to Louisville, Kentucky May 11-13 for the national competition.

Archery Team Prosser
Archery Team Prosser
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Wendy Applegate, who along with another associate are the coaches for the teams, says Whitstran is the only Prosser school with this program and it's a sense of pride and a self-esteem boost for the kids in the program, especially when they get to teach their peers and younger children the fine art of archery.

The growth of the kids involved in the program, now in its third year, is quite noteworthy. After placing at the bottom the first year in the statewide competition, the Prosser kids have been slinging it superbly and have been progressing toward success culminating in two top ten finishers at the recent state competition in March.

Quiver me timbers.

Archery is big business in this part of the state. Martin Archery in Walla Walla is known around the world for its top of the line compound bows and arrows, and I worked for a couple of summers at Howatt Archery in Yakima helping assemble some of the introductory compound bow models.

Best of luck to those competing and continued success to the Prosser archery program!

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