The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proudly congratulates the winners of the 2025 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Tournament. The competition, held on Saturday, April 12th at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, brought together talented young archers from across the state.
Choctawhatchee High School of Fort Walton Beach emerged as the overall champion, securing the first-place trophy in the High School division with an impressive team score of 3,301. Their score was the highest across all three divisions – Elementary, Middle, and High School – solidifying their dominance in the tournament.
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In the High School division, Tampa Bay H.E.A.T. (a homeschool association from Brandon) claimed second place with a score of 3,220, while Summerlin Academy from Bartow finished third with a score of 3,211.
The Middle School division saw Edward W. Bok Academy-South from Lake Wales take the top spot with a team score of 3,212. Tampa Bay H.E.A.T.’s Middle School division continued their strong showing, placing second with a score of 3,207, and Meigs Middle School Division from Shalimar earned third place with a score of 3,188.
Tampa Bay H.E.A.T.’s Elementary School division proved their strength as well, winning first place with a team score of 3,057. Liza Jackson Preparatory School from Fort Walton Beach secured second place with a score of 3,004, and Saint Mary Catholic School, also from Fort Walton Beach, took home third place with a team score of 2,872.
The tournament also recognized outstanding individual achievements. Marek Tokash and Abigail Cooper, both representing Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., were the top-scoring male and female archers overall, each receiving a $5,000 scholarship check from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida and NASP. Both athletes achieved an impressive score of 291.
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Jayce Nelson from Meigs Middle School and Sophia Harper from Choctawhatchee High School secured second place overall for males and females respectively, each earning a $3,000 scholarship. Zavier Cruz from Twisted Arrow Archery out of Lakeland and Kaylee Smith from Tampa Bay H.E.A.T. finished third overall, each receiving a $2,000 scholarship.
Individual top scores from each division were also celebrated:
Elementary School Top Individual Scores:
- First Place Male: Zachariah Cruz (273), Twisted Arrow Archery, Lakeland
- First Place Female: Kiara Diaz (282), Baughman Homeschool, Okeechobee
- Second Place Male: Cade Last (267), Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., Brandon
- Second Place Female: Jenesis Quitugua (267), St. Mary Catholic School, Fort Walton Beach
- Third Place Male: Carver Bass (265), Liza Jackson Preparatory School, Ft Walton Beach
- Third Place Female: Madison Wasson (266), Liza Jackson Preparatory School, Ft Walton Beach
Middle School Top Individual Scores:
- First Place Male: Jayce Nelson (290), Meigs Middle School, Shalimar
- First Place Female: Abigail Cooper (291), Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., Brandon
- Second Place Male: Zavier Cruz (288), Twisted Arrow Archery, Lakeland
- Second Place Female: Bristol Wooten (284), Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., Brandon
- Third Place Male: Chase Bryant (281), Lake City Middle School, Lake City
- Third Place Female: Jocelyn Hannah (278), Geneva Classical Academy, Lakeland
High School Top Individual Scores:
- First Place Male: Marek Tokash (291), Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., Brandon
- First Place Female: Sophia Harper (285), Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach
- Second Place Male: Daniel Thompson (284), Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach
- Second Place Female: Kaylee Smith (284), Tampa Bay H.E.A.T., Brandon
- Third Place Male: Eric Lee (283), Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach
- Third Place Female: Evah Elliott (282), Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach
In the IBO 3D Tournament, Marek Tokash and Abigail Cooper continued their winning streak, securing first place overall for males (score of 285) and females (score of 286) respectively, both representing Tampa Bay H.E.A.T.
The FWC extends its sincere congratulations to all the participating students, coaches, and schools for their dedication and impressive performances at the 2025 NASP State Tournament.
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