Intramural archery will be available to students for the first time in South Dakota State University history.

The Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC) of South Dakota, which is located on the south side of Brookings, will be hosting this fall sport. In addition to intramural archery, more opportunities for students to try their hand at precision sports exist at the OAC.  

“There are many ways for SDSU students to get involved,” said Lisa Bretsch, executive director at the facility. Whether it’s one of their educational courses offered, such as dog obedience training or shooting sports in their archery and firearm ranges.

One of the main draws to the center, according to Bretsch, is the archery range, so she expects many participants for intramural archery. Registration for the activity is currently open until Sept. 21, with the season beginning on Sept. 28 and goes through the first week of November. The cost is $40 per team of four to six participants. 

Similar to other intramural team sports at SDSU, students can sign up as a team, or individually and get placed on a team. All equipment and instruction will be provided. If a student has their own archery equipment, they are able to use it for this activity. People of all levels of archery experience are welcomed to participate in this intramural sport. 

“You don’t have to know how to shoot archery, we will teach you,” Bretsch said.

Additionally, every last Saturday of the month, a 3-hour adult basic archery class is offered at the OAC. The cost is $40, which covers range time, equipment and instruction. This course offers an opportunity for beginners looking to get into the sport of archery.  

“It packs a lot information into a short program and is a great experience for those interested in the sport,” Bretsch said.

Safety is a high priority at the range, especially with participants of varying levels and experience. The 30-yard range is open to the public and has 20 lanes available for use.   Spencer Carstens, a senior at SDSU, is a regular user of the OAC archery range. 

“They have a very safe environment at the OAC,” Carstens said.  “Staff are willing to help, and they have a nice setup.”  

Another opportunity for college students to check out at the OAC is the firearms range.

This range is limited to handguns and rifles with a muzzle velocity of less than 3,500 feet per second, or a caliber of .458 or lower, which covers the majority of firearms on the market today. Shooters can bring their personal firearm, but OAC offers rentals. Participants must be 21 or older to rent firearms, but people over the age of 18 can bring their own firearms and practice shooting.

The building, which opened in 2014, is located within the Dakota Nature Park on 22nd Avenue at the site of the old landfill. 

“It’s a really cool building,” Carstens said. “It provides a great experience for everyone, even if you’ve never tried shooting sports before.”

Public and member hours differ and can be found online, along with additional information about educational courses offered at the Outdoor Adventure Center of South Dakota, at www.oacofsd.org, or call OAC at (605)693-4622.