November 25, 2022

Para Dominates in Doubles and Mixed Teams, Barebow Continues Winning Streak

Santiago, Chile – It was a busy Thanksgiving Day at the 2022 Pan Am and Para Pan Am Championships. Team USA Archery Para athletes paired up in Doubles and Team events to win gold, silver and bronze medals where they secured quota spots for 2023. Barebow men continued their winning streak in the individual event.

USA’s Recurve Mixed Team Candice Caesar and Kevin Mather easily won gold against Brazil. USA had a challenging match with Colombia but made it to the gold medal match to bring home gold.

In another mixed team match, USA W1 Mixed Team Lisa Coryell and Jason Tabansky easily beat Chile to secure gold. In Men W1 Doubles, USA Lucas Herro and Jason Tabansky, beat Chile to get into the gold medal match with Brazil where USA won silver.

Richard Burkett and former Paralympian Andre Shelby won silver in Compound Men Open Doubles in a tight match against Brazil, it was a one-point difference that put Brazil on the podium for gold, 150-151.

Recurve Women Open Doubles Candice Caesar and Valeria Duron take bronze with Colombia winning gold and Mexico taking silver. Valeria Duron, newer international team member commented, “This is my first big international event so I’m excited. It’s been an amazing feeling to be able to represent Team USA at the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Championships!”

In an exciting tie-breaker in Compound Women Open Doubles, USA Wendy Gardner and Erev King shot an X and 10 to beat Mexico to win bronze, Brazil won Gold and Chile took silver.

Recurve Men Open Doubles was another exciting event where USA Eric Bennett and Kevin Mather beat Colombia to take on Brazil in the gold medal match. In a second tie-breaker event, Brazil shot an X and 10 to secure gold however, Bennett and Mather didn’t disappoint and took home silver.

And finally, it was a big day for USA Barebow with USA Barebow Women clinching gold, silver and bronze in the individual event. This final match saw four Team USA athletes compete for every medal. Christina Lyons outshot her teammate Fawn Girard in the gold medal match to win gold. Girard had to first beat teammate Maggie Brensinger to go up against Lyons in the gold medal match but she that and took silver. Brensinger won bronze against teammate Susan Snider.

USA Barebow Men took silver and bronze. Marcus Cooley headed into the gold medal match on Thanksgiving Day against Brazil’s Andrés Pablo Garcia. Cooley put up a good fight winning silver. USA’s Rick Stonebraker and Matt Yacca went head-to-head for bronze with Matt Yacca outcompeting his teammate. Matt Yacca commented during practice, “The toughest competition would be my teammates, Stonebreaker, Kellan and Cooley.” And it looks like he was right.

Para Team USA Archery earned their spots for the 2023 Para Pan Am Games which is a Paralympic Qualifying Tournament for Paris 2024.

Follow results of your favorite athletes here, see photos on World Archery’s SmugMug, and learn more about Paris 2024. Follow USA Archery on Facebook and Instagram for additional event coverage.

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