STATESBORO, Ga. – Texas A&M University has claimed the Overall National Team Championship following a riveting three days of high-level competition at the 2024 USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals.
Defending champions from the University of the Cumberlands finished second, while University of Pikeville came in third.
University of Pikeville had a great final day, winning gold in both barebow and compound mixed teams. University of the Cumberlands took top honors in fixed pins, while the spoils were shared in recurve between University of the Cumberlands and Texas A&M (TAMU) after severe weather forced an early end to what had been a thrilling Collegiate Target Nationals inside Georgia Southern University.
Connor Mullis and Kimber Wheeler (University of the Cumberlands) led from start to finish in claiming gold in fixed pins mixed team, overcoming Lindsey Wilson College duo Wyatt Burtts and Sophia Hunziger 151-146.
Collegiate archery events bring with them rivalry as well as fantastic support, which is something Mullis picked up on after their victory. He said, “It’s a lot different whenever you’re shooting qualification. It’s quiet. But once you get into something like this, it’s all the people you know and love pulling for you and cheering you on, and it makes the environment a lot better.”
At this point, Pikeville took over, starting with barebow success for Maggie Brensinger and John Stephens courtesy of a shoot-off win over Venugopal Kunnavakkam and Rosalyn Easley (TAMU).
Brensinger set a new U21 world record during the individual qualification round and is also the 2024 Indoor Nationals Final winner. The barebow talent humbly suggested the success was down to the support of her team and her parents.
Compound gold followed for Pikeville, as Matthew Russell and Alyssa Tenney defeated Daniel Carlton Jr. and Rachel Flack 154-150.
And then the storm clouds gathered, just as Trenton Cowles and Alyssa Artz were set to do battle with Clay Weaver and Brianna Laux, the one and two seeds respectively from TAMU and the University of the Cumberlands.
What had initially been hoped would be a brief break became more drawn out, eventually forcing organizers to crown both teams as gold medalists with the severe weather lingering longer than expected in the Statesboro area.
This was the second year in a row that Georgia Southern University had hosted the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals, with 49 schools making for a memorable occasion. Next year the event heads to East Lansing, MI and to the campus of Michigan State University.
