(Radio Iowa) – Some 23-hundred students from nearly 150 Iowa schools will be in Des Moines this weekend to take aim in the state archery tournament. Zach Benttine, the Iowa D-N-R’s archery coordinator, says there are two types of competition for the students in grades four through 12.

This program didn’t exist 20 years ago, but archery has become extremely popular in Iowa’s schools, with more than 46-hundred children taking part this past year.

About 250 Iowa schools teach the course, with about 150 of them running the after-school program. Top Iowa finishers this weekend will go on to the National Archery in the Schools Program Tournament. The shooting starts tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.

Prizes include more than 20-thousand dollars in college scholarships based on performance at the state tournament, while another 10-thousand dollars will be awarded outside of the competition to archers based on academics, essays, and other criteria. Teams are also aiming for some 18-thousand dollars in archery equipment for their schools. The state tournament will be held in the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center and the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

online at www.iowadnr.gov/nasp