2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 142
BY SENATOR GATTI
A RESOLUTION
To commend Benton Elementary School on winning the 2017 National Archery in Schools
Program national tournament and being named national elementary school
champion.
WHEREAS, the elementary school tournament of the National Archery in Schools
Program was held in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 11 through 13, 2017; and
WHEREAS, this annual tournament involves two types of competition, 3-D and
bull's-eye, and this year, after winning the national 3-D championship last year, the students
of Benton Elementary put together a championship performance overall; and
WHEREAS, the Benton Elementary team competed against one hundred
seventy-nine other schools from around the country and is part of a program in which they,
along with other Louisiana schools, participate in the Archery in Schools Program,
administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; and
WHEREAS, at the national tournament in Louisville, outstanding performances
included Maddie Lowry, who placed fourth in the 3-D division in a competitive field of five
hundred six elementary girl archers and Hannah McKenzie placed third in the bull's-eye
division of elementary girls, competing against just over nineteen hundred elementary girl
archers; and
WHEREAS, these outstanding performances are totaled with the scores of other
teammates and the team with the highest point total is awarded the championship; and
WHEREAS, the archery team has been training, practicing, and participating in
meets throughout the year, including the state tournament, and on to the national tournament;
and
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WHEREAS, with Beth Duncan and Autry Lowry serving as coaches, the Benton
Elementary Archery in Schools Program team members are third graders Trey Orms, Mason
Hicks, Emerson Fite, Anna Young, Ayden Dowdall, fourth graders Hannah McKenzie, Tyler
Pope, Landon Burrows, Jayden Young, Cavitt Hilburn, Jacob Gallagher, Grant Bunch and
fifth graders Corrigan Jayroe, Madeline (Maddie) Lowry, Eden Old, Karmen Harrison,
Avery Coe, Kylie Jo Maggio, Cherish Young, Hayden Viola, Baylee Craft, Haley Hancock,
Lillybeth Stephens, Kyndal Diel, and Rylee VanBuskirk; and
WHEREAS, the Benton Elementary archery team scored well in the state meet, in
which they finished first in the bull's-eye division and first in the 3-D division, in addition
to several outstanding individual performances including Eden Old first place and Karmen
Harrison third in the girls bull's-eye division and Tyler Pope third for boy archers and Eden
Old first among the girl archers and Tyler Pope first among boy archers in each of their
respective 3-D division; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation
supports the Archery in Schools Program, such as the one at Benton Elementary School, and
it offers grants to purchase a portion of the equipment necessary for schools to participate
in the archery curriculum and competitions; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the program is to promote the teaching of target archery
as a part of the in-school curriculum in order to improve educational performance of students
and to encourage their participation in target sports; and
WHEREAS, the National Archery in Schools Program has two specific goals, the
first is to improve student motivation, behavior, attendance, and focus in relation to
education, and the second, to encourage students to spend more time in the outdoors while
learning outdoor skills that will inspire them to spend more time with wild animals in wild
places; and
WHEREAS, as the state that considers itself the "sportsman's paradise", Louisiana
has deep roots in the leisure pursuits of hunting and fishing and it is essential to maintaining
that aspect of Louisiana culture to pass that passion for outdoor sports on to a generation that
is considerably more urban than previous generations and to teach the lifetime skills of
participation in target sports, hoping to raise new generations with a love of sporting
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activities in general; and
WHEREAS, having won the 3-D archery division championship in 2016, the Benton
Elementary team set a goal of winning the overall national championship, and that goal
drove the students to practice hard and improve their skills and, with the tutelage of coaches
Lowry and Duncan, the students were able to realize that goal of becoming the 2017
National Archery in Schools Program elementary school champion.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend Benton Elementary School on winning the 2017 National Archery
in Schools Program national tournament and being named elementary champion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
coaches Beth Duncan and Autry Lowry of Benton Elementary School.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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