PARIS, France – The compound men’s team of James Lutz, Kris Schaff and Sawyer Sullivan will be shooting for gold on Saturday at the World Cup Stage #4, with the USA tackling India for top honors.
After a bye to the quarterfinals, the US trio defeated Guatemala 235-225, before stepping it up to see off eventual bronze medalists Denmark 238-234 in the semifinals.
The compound women, consisting of Alexis Ruiz, Olivia Dean and Carson Krahe, narrowly missed out on a place in the quarterfinals when beaten 228-227 by Estonia.
Recurve competition got underway on day two of the World Cup Stage #4, with qualification followed by the 1/64th round of elimination.
Casey Kaufhold emerged as the third seed following recurve women qualification. Her and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez (14) received byes through to the 1/32nd round of eliminations, which start on Friday, where they will be joined by teammates Gabrielle Sasai (29) and Catalina GNoriega (40).
Sasai won through her 1/64th elimination match on Wednesday, beating Nilko Cotto (PUR) 6-2. GNoriega finished strong to overcome Anatoli Martha Gkorila (GRE) 6-5. Gkorila led 5-3 heading into the final set, with GNoriega forcing a shootoff with a 29. The USA archer then landed a 10 with her one arrow for the win.
Kaufhold plays Nicoleta Clima (MDA) when competition resumes, with Mucino-Fernandez facing Elif Berra Gokkir (TUR). Sasai’s next opponent is Lei Chien-Ying (TPE), while GNoriega has Caroline Lopez of France.
In the recurve men, Brady Ellison (16th seed), Jackson Mirich (19) and Jack Williams (60) all came through their opening elimination matches.
Ellison defeated Arkadiusz Smolinski (POL) 7-3 and next faces Maximilian Weckmueller (GER). Mirich saw off Bernardo Oliveira (BRA) 6-2 and tackles Jeff Henckels (LUX) in the 1/32nd round, with Williams meeting fifth seed Marcus D’Almeida (BRA) after needing a one arrow shootoff to defeat Pit Klein (LUX) 6-5. Gabriel Anderson (31) fell at the 1/64th round to Matyas Laszlo Balogh (HUN)
Ellison and Kaufhold will combine for the recurve mixed team event. That begins on Friday, and the USA, as fourth seeds, start at the 1/8th round against either Brazil or Ukraine.
Day three brings recurve team elimination rounds, followed by individual elimination rounds in compound.
The recurve women’s team of Kaufhold, Mucino-Fernandez and Sasai are the third seeds and have a bye until the 1/8th round, with either Brazil or Italy their opponents.
Anderson, Ellison and Mirich make up the recurve men’s team. They are seeded four and will await the winners of Spain and Kazakhstan in the 1/8th round.
Schaff, third seed in the compound men, starts against Juan Andrés Vargas (CHI) in the 1/32nd round. Braden Gellenthien faces Sebastian Arenas (COL). The US pair would meet in the 1/16th round if both are successful. Elsewhere, Sullivan goes up against Matus Durny (SVK), with Lutz tackling Wong Tze Ling (HKG).
In the compound women elimination matches, Ruiz faces teammate Cassidy Cox straight out of the gate, Dean meets Wang Yu-Lun (TPE) and Krahe plays Mariya Shkolna (LUX).
