DUBLIN, Ohio – While Brady Ellison, Catalina GNoriega, Casey Kaufhold and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez represent the USA at the Olympic Games in Paris, the focus for many closer to home in the coming days will be the Rebel Gear Buckeye Classic and trying to make the USA team for international competition in 2025.
The Buckeye Classic, which begins with official practice on Friday morning, is the fourth and final USAT (United States Archery Team) Qualifier Series event, and this year’s edition boasts over 700 archers from across the country, who have converged on Darree Fields Park, just north of Columbus.
There will be no clean sweep for Cindy Czako in the barebow women’s division. Having won at the AAE Arizona Cup, Easton Foundations Gator Cup and Easton Foundations SoCal Showdown, the in-form Czako has opted to use her time in Dublin to coach. That could leave the door open for Diana Cochran, the beaten finalist last time out at SoCal Showdown in southern California. Maggie Brensinger is the defending champion, having defeated Cochran in 2023.
Jack Williams has won two of the three USAT events this year – Arizona Cup and SoCal Showdown – though he can expect competition from the likes of Trenton Cowles, the defending champion in the recurve men’s division. Justin Huish returns, also, having won silver last year.
With GNoriega, Kaufhold and Mucino-Fernandez busy in Paris, the recurve women’s competition could be a little more open. Among those involved this week will be Molly Nugent, Gabrielle Sasai, Alexandria Zuleta-Visser, Cham Chung, Jordan Marie Meiners and reigning champion Isabella Frederick.
Like Williams in recurve men, 17-year-old Olivia Dean has claimed two of the three USAT events in compound women. She was silver medalist at SoCal Showdown, with Paige Pearce taking gold. Pearce will not be in Dublin to defend her Buckeye Classic crown, though there remains a very strong field, including Dean, Alexis Ruiz, Tanja Gellenthien, Liko Arreola and Carson Krahe.
There is a strong domestic and international flavor to compound men with 2024 champions Mathias Fullerton (Arizona Cup) and Braden Gellenthien (Gator Cup) both present, joined by the likes of Kris Schaff, defending champion Sawyer Sullivan, James Lutz and Stephan Hansen.
Local archer Jordan Graham is back to defend his title in the barebow men. His 6-2 win over veteran Rick Stonebraker 12 months ago triggered an emotional reaction from the Ace Archers Club Of Columbus member.
Others returning to go for the repeat include Scott Bowman (recurve 50+ men), Carrie Lin (compound 50+ women) and Cheri Gandy (barebow 50+ women).
There are also a good number who were successful at last week’s WIAWIS USA Archery JOAD Target Nationals & JOAD U.S. Open, among them Olivia Dean, Jack Chen, Jack Krengel, Ava Jones, Hailey Franzone, Cody and David Fightmaster, Dewey Hathaway and Abigail Winterton.
The senior gold medal matches in compound, barebow and recurve will be broadcast live on USA Archery’s Facebook and You Tube channel from 2pm ET on Sunday.
Keep up to date with latest scores and results on BetweenEnds. There will also be photos at the end of each session.
