The USA Archery National 3-D Collegiate Championships returns to Foley this week. The championships, run in partnership with the Archery Shooters Association (ASA), will take place October 2 – 6 at Graham Creek Nature Preserve and Foley Event Center.
Mike Tyrell, President of ASA, anticipates 400 collegiate shooters this year, up from the 330 that competed last year. Participants must be enrolled at a USA Archery member college and can compete in a range of divisions including Open, Bowhunter, Barebow Recurve, Olympic Recurve, Team, and Mixed Team.
For 2019, the Mixed Team Event and competition banquet will be held inside the Foley Event Center. Tyrell explained the set-up is not something that can be hosted just anywhere, but that Foley offers the space and amenities to give the competition a unique edge.
“Foley provides the perfect combination of facilities, activities and community support to make this a must attend on the collegiate calendar,” Tyrell said. “Great facilities, great weather, great extra activities, great community support – it’s just a great fit.”
Jeff Ryan, Foley Event Center Supervisor, said the Foley Sports Tourism staff looks forward to the collegiate championships because a significant portion of visitors have never been to South Alabama.
“Last year ASA arranged for a shrimp boil. A number of the kids had never eaten shrimp, so we got to show them how you peel them,” Ryan said. “This is the perfect opportunity to not only share with them our unique hospitality, but also a way of life they may never have experienced before.”
The USA Archery National 3-D Collegiate Championships are free and open to the public. For more information on this tournament or any FST events visit our events page.