Olympic-Sized Shooting Sports Complex to be Built in Arkansas
Arkansas is a step closer to building a world-class Olympic-sized shooting sports facility with the help of the University of the Ozarks and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
According to a press release and a report from KATV, a fundraising campaign has begun for a facility to be built in Clarksville, Arkansas accessible from I-40 in Johnson County. In an agreement, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission would provide $2 million in matching funds while the University of the Ozarks would raise the rest of the funds.
The university has plans to start an archery program once the facility is built and 4.5 million has already been pledged from the AGFC for the men's and women's shooting teams.
The fastest-growing sport in the country is Clay target shooting and archery from youth to the college level. There are over 100 shooting programs within a 100-mile radius of Clarksville and having a premiere facility of this caliber would be essential in providing what is needed for a growing sport.
Plans for the Olympic-sized complex are to be built on 140 acres of land owned by the university and according to the agreement the AFGC would maintain the operations and management of the pistol and rifle range while the university will operate other aspects of the facility that will be open to the public for use. Picnic areas, pavilions, and spectator areas will also be included in the plans.
The first phase will consist of competition-level sporting clay courses, bunkers, fields for trap, skeet, and pistol and rifle ranges.
The closest Olympic-size. facility to Arkansas is located in San Antonio, Texas.
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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger