HAMILTON, Ohio - With the race for national championship titles already hot, archers across America are spending these last few days getting ready for the 129th US National Target Championships/US Open and Easton JOAD Nationals, which begin here on Wednesday.
Still riding the wave of excitement from the 2012 Olympic Games and the Hollywood spotlight on archery, this year has seen sustained growth of the sport with record attendance at almost every USAT Qualifier Series Event this season. With an unheard-of 701 registered archers competing, including over 475 youth competitors - at least 170 of whom are cadets -the tournament promises intense competition while capturing the spirit of the archery community.
The events afford youth and adult archers alike the opportunity to compete alongside Olympians and World Champions, including Brady Ellison (Chula Vista, Calif.), Reo Wilde (Pocatello, Idaho), Erika Jones (Grand Island, Neb.), Jamie VanNatta (Toledo, Ohio), Braden Gellenthien (College Station, Tex.), Khatuna Lorig (West Hollywood, Calif.), the entire 2012 US Olympic Archery Team and the 2013 World Archery Championships Team.
There are also many younger archers making their mark this year. Emerging stars include Bridger Deaton (Pella, Iowa), Lexi Keller (Omro, Wisc.), Tyson Pruitte (Hamlet, N.C.), Danielle Reynolds (Gilbert, Ariz.), Lauren Clamon (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mackenzie Brown (Chula Vista, Calif.), Jeremiah Cusick (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Collin Klimitichek (Chula Vista, Calif.). International guests include archers from Chinese Taipei, Canada, Algeria, Taiwan, and Japan.
Senior and Master archers competing in the 129th US National Target Championships and will compete in a 144-arrow, four-distance round over two days, for a chance at the National Championship title. The US National Target Championships also serves as the qualification round for the US Open, which will take place on July 13.
All Easton JOAD Nationals competitors (Junior, Cadet, Cub, Bowman) will shoot two 72-arrow rounds over two days, at a single distance that is determined by their age group and equipment style. Those seeking the title of Grand National Champion will compete in qualification, team and elimination rounds.
There will be a free autograph session with the World Archery Championships Team during the Welcome BBQ and Opening Ceremonies on July 10th. Barbecue tickets are $13 for adults and $9 per child, and must be purchased by 3:00 p.m. on July 10, at the Butler County tent.
Olympians and Paralympians, who are participating as archers, coaches and event staff, will also be honored during USA Archery's Olympic Day celebration on July 13th, also the day of the US Open, a day to celebrate the Olympic movement and spirit.
All results will be available at http://www.ianseo.net. Follow USA Archery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for photos and updates from the field throughout the competition. Fans and competitors are encouraged to post on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #JOADNationals and #OutdoorNationals. Additionally, all members of USA Archery are invited and encouraged to attend the USA Archery Annual Meeting on July 11th.
About
USA Archery
USA Archery (USAA)
is the National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of archery in the United
States. USAA selects and trains Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, Para
World Championship, Pan Am and Parapan Am teams, as well as developing archery at
the grassroots level across the United States. Thousands of archers participate
in USA Archery's National Championship and United States Archery Team Qualifier
Series Events each year. The organization also educates and trains archery
instructors and coaches, and sanctions hundreds of regional, state and local
events each year. For more information, visit http://www.usarchery.org.
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