DES MOINES, Iowa – Where else would the Chocolate Pandas get the better of the Purple Crocodiles? Who wouldn’t want to see the Brown Mammoths go up against the Violet Hippopotamus? And was anyone surprised to see the Apricot Snails struggling to keep pace with the Orchid Squirrels?
Welcome to the team competition (and team names) at the 2023 USA Archery JOAD Target Nationals, which followed the double 72 arrow round competition on Thursday and Friday, and the elimination rounds competition on Saturday.
Teams of twos and threes came together across all divisions, occasionally combining age categories and disciplines, in an exciting, entertaining and energetic elimination format.
This year’s JOAD Target Nationals was the largest ever, with more than 850 archers competing, cheered on and superbly supported by family and friends. In all, there were three competitions within the event, the double 72 arrow round competition from which national champions were crowned, the elimination competition which kick-started the weekend, with the team portion of the event tying a neat ribbon around this most special of occasions.
The team format brings with it greater intensity, as archers switch from merely thinking about their own game, to advising and guiding rivals, or even strangers. This was the perfect way to end the event, and what the team competition allowed was summed up in the words of an archer after his medal ceremony.
He turned to his new friend and said, “Thanks for being on my team. It was so great to meet you and I really hope we get to see each other at other events.”
Competition was evident at JOAD Target Nationals but while matches may have been lost, many new friendships were found. This was as much about camaraderie and community as it was about medals and records.
Results can be found on the BetweenEnds website, while the USA Archery SmugMug account has images from each day in Des Moines.
