The 16th Annual NWTF Jakes Youth Art Contest was held at the State Convention January 13-15, 2012. Thank you to all participants and congratulations to the following winning entries.  There were hundreds of entries from dozens of schools throughout Wisconsin.  The 1st, 2nd, and third place finishers have been forwarded to the National Art Contest.

Ages 6-8

1st Place:  Connor DeBruin                            Our Lady of Lourdes School         DePere, WI

2nd Place:  Kayla Debruin                              Our Lady of Lourdes School         DePere, WI

3rd Place:  Ella Wall                                        Our Lady of Lourdes School         DePere, WI

Ages 9-11

1st Place:  Logan DeJardin                            Our Lady of Lourdes School         DePere, WI

2nd Place:  Brooke Webb                             Thorp Elementary School             Thorp, WI

3rd Place:  Josie Bieker                                  Our Lady of Lourdes School         DePere, WI

Ages 12-14

1st Place:  Rachel Fesenmaier                    Spring Valley Elementary School    Elmwood, WI

2nd Place:  Ross Polka                                Mosinee Middle School                   Mosinee, WI

3rd Place:  Logan VanderLinder                 St. Clare School                               DePere, WI

Ages15-17

1st Place:  Risqika Edni Doni Achsan        Chilton High School                        Chilton, WI

2nd Place:  Ivy B. Molls                               Turtle Lake High School                 Turtle Lake, WI

3rd Place:  Meronica Reilly                         Berlin High School                          Berlin, WI 

East De Pere High School took first place in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament, held in Wisconsin Rapids on April 1st & 2nd with a record high score of 3,290. Also, Riley Heiman took 2nd High School boys with a 285, Zack Hooyman 3rd HS boys with 284, Kyle Wiegert 4th HS boys 282 and Megan Klister 3rd HS girls with a 281. The tournament was a two day event with just under 700 shooters. Rounding out the top 12 East De Pere High School shooters were; John Van Rens 276, Ben Manning 275, Nora Huebner 274, Nick Vollrath 272, Michelle Secora 272, Tina Secora 267, Alex Schwartz 263 and Cheyenne Andrus 259.
 
Next the team heads to Louisville, KY on June 13th -14th to compete in the national tournament where 9,000 shooters are expected to compete in the largest archery tournament ever held. The East De Pere Middle school placed 5th in the middle school division, and the top four shooters; Kyle Roarty, Alex Mathias, Alex Gastelum and Ryan Schwartz will also shoot the national tournament.

For more on how everyone finished visit this webiste: http://nasptournaments.org/VTTournamentDetail.aspx?tid=51

Daisy Sponsors New Youth Shooting Program

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Daisy Outdoor Products has signed on to sponsor the new JAKES Take Aim program, which presents opportunities for youth ages 17 and under to try target shooting and sporting clay shooting with air guns and shotguns in a safe, fun environment.

The National Wild Turkey Federation started JAKES Take Aim with a goal of tripling the annual number of youth shooting participants at JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) outreach events – from 50,000 to 150,000 youth – by 2014.

Daisy Outdoor Products, headquartered in Rogers, Ark., is the world's oldest and largest manufacturer of airguns, ammo and accessories. The company will stock JAKES Take Aim shooting trailers with airguns, pellets, targets and other equipment to set up safe airgun ranges at any youth event.

This year, fully equipped JAKES Take Aim shooting trailers will debut in seven states with 20 additional trailers available by the end of 2011. Trailers will be available for use through state agencies and NWTF state chapters.

"We are grateful that Daisy understands the magnitude and importance of the JAKES Take Aim program," said Mandy Harling, JAKES program coordinator. "Daisy shows unmatched support, sponsorship and enthusiasm for the future of shooting sports by partnering with the NWTF to help us reach our goal of introducing more youth to shooting sports."

Larry and Brenda Potterfield, shooting enthusiasts and founders and owners of MidwayUSA, an online shooting and hunting supplier based in Columbia, Mo., provided a generous donation to help launch the program.

Studies have shown that participation in sport shooting is declining, which is mirrored by a decline in hunting participation. Both declines are a growing concern for state fish and wildlife agencies, non-profit organizations and conservationists because a large percentage of conservation projects are funded through the taxes on firearm sales and ammunition.

The NWTF is helping to counteract this trend by recruiting and retaining youth hunters, shooters and conservationists by introducing youth to the outdoors through its JAKES and JAKES Take Aim outreach programs.

For more information about JAKES Take Aim or to participate, contact Mandy Harling at (803) 637-3106 or mharling@nwtf.net. For news and announcements about JAKES Take Aim, visit Facebook.com/JAKESTakeAim .

The 2011 Jakes art contest was held this weekend at the State Convention and the results are as follows:

Ages 6 – 8

1^st- Abby Kola                                    St. Clare School                Teacher: Mrs. Stoll

2^nd – Ella Diny                                   St. Clare School                Teacher: Mrs. DeGrout

3^rd – Mica Kayhart                            Loyal Public School          Teacher: Patti Juda

Ages 9 – 11

1^st – Yeng Vang                                 Howe Elementary            Teacher: Ms. Schofield

2^nd – Gina Chung                              Howe Elementary            Teacher: Ms. Schofield

3^rd – Anna Massey                            Our Lady of Lourdes       Teacher: Mrs. Stoll

Ages 12 - 14       

1^st – Kelsey Lydon                            St. Boniface                        Teacher: Sister Eloise Hirlemann R.S.M.

2^nd – Meronicca Reilly                     Berlin High School              Teacher: Ms. Gehl

3^rd – Anna Stramschrol                    St. Francis                            Teacher: Henkhaus

Ages 15 – 17

1^st – Joe Drover                                 Berlin High School            Teacher: Ms. Gehl

2^nd – Allison Yonke                           Berlin High School            Teacher: Ms. Gehl

3^rd – Tori Cassidy                              Berlin High School            Teacher: Ms. Gehl

Congratulations to those that won, and thank you to those who submitted art work.

Timber Country Cutters Chapter presenting a check to the Rib Mountain Bowmen to help fund their NASP in the Wausau area. This uniquely collabrative effort will ensure that not only will the youth of Wausau have archery classes in their public school, but will follow up with the kids after school is out at the Rib Mountain Bowmen's Archery Club. Presenting the check is Timber Country Cutters Chapter members Jerry Krueger(blue shirt holding check) and Brian Krunkos (brown shirt, NWTF hat). From the Rib Mountain Bowmen's are Left to Right - Dennis Wendt (President), Karl Hanke (Vice president), Frank Copenhaver (board member), and Tom Bartz (treasurer).

My name is Matt Secora and I coach the East De Pere NASP archery program. This is our second year with the program and it has been a big success.  We will be sending 59 shooters to the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Shoot this Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids. This is the second year for NASP at the high school where all 1,200 students take archery as part of gym class. This year we also added the Middle School (7th & 8th grades) and Foxview (5th & 6th grades) to the program! We also had 30 kids (photo attached) get their own bows this year by selling raffle tickets sponsored the Rotary Club of De Pere. None of this would be possible without support from groups like yours!!! Thanks again and let me know when your next event is so we can attend and thank you in person.

Thank you,  

Matt Secora

Here are more photos from the De Pere Red Birds at the National Competition.