FOLEY, Ala. – For the seventh year in a row, the University of the Cumberlands were crowned champions of the USA Archery Collegiate 3D Nationals but there was also success for the new archery program out of the University of Rio Grande.
The culmination of the three-day competition was the Mixed Equipment Team Rounds inside the Foley Event Center, which was energetic and lively, archers roared on by their teammates.
This followed two rounds of individual competition across Friday and Saturday, featuring barebow, compound, fixed pins and recurve.
When the total tally was confirmed, Kris Strebeck’s team had once again taken gold in the overall competition, from Lindsey Wilson College and University of Pikeville. Fourth overall was Rio Grande, the school under the watchful eye of head coach Jonathan Clemins and one which only began its archery program earlier this year.
“This is our first year as a team,” explained Clemins, who was in Paris last month with the USA’s Paralympic archery team. “We wanted to come here and make a big splash, make a statement in our first national event.
“I’m really happy with the way things turned out and the way we performed this weekend.”
University of Rio Grande took gold in the compound mixed team through Colton Green and Matteja Metcalf. Texas A&M won the recurve competition courtesy of Trenton Cowles and Riley Marx. There was gold for John Stephens and Maggie Brensinger of the University of Pikeville in barebow mixed team, while University of the Cumberlands took top honors in fixed pins.
Elsewhere, and in the individual competition, just two points separated the top four in the recurve men. Cowles edged T Sanchez of Lindsey Wilson College due to him shooting one more 12. Texas A&M duo Alex Gilliam and Venugopal Kunnavakkam could not be separated for the bronze, with both scoring 414, which included 14 12s.
Recurve women's gold went to Olivia Hale of the University of Pikeville, who finished clear of two top talents from Texas A&M, Riley Marx and Olympian Catalina GNoriega, who was competing in her first 3D event. Hale won by eight points, while also registering two more 12s than her nearest rival.
Two points were the difference between the medalists in compound men. Austin Taylor (Lindsey Wilson College) and Colton Green (University of Rio Grande) scored 452. Taylor took gold due to having shot one more 12. Bronze went to Gage Kellett (Lindenwood University, who fired 450.
Compound women was even closer. The first four archers were split by only two points. Gold went to Julia Rives (William Carey University) with a total of 422, the same as silver medalist Grace Moore (University of the Cumberlands). Teammate Claire Garrison walked away with bronze, despite scoring the same (420) as fourth-placed Lanie Nish, who was also from the Cumberlands.
Kelly Hawvermale (Muskingum University) produced quite the performance to win gold in the barebow women competition. Sitting second after the first round, her second round score of 194 allowed her to push past Maggie Brensinger, a world record holder at U21 level, to take the top prize. Kyle Coffey won gold in barebow men. The Union Commonwealth University archer finished 20 points clear of Isaac Ivey (University of the Cumberlands). John Sarazin, now competing with the University of Rio Grande, took bronze.
Hannah Summers (University of the Cumberlands) and Carrie Booth (Midway University) both scored 410 in fixed pins women. Summers secured gold with six more 12s than Booth. It was also close in fixed pins men. Nate Harper (University of Pikeville) finished two points ahead of Jaden Taylor (University of the Cumberlands). Both shot 220 in the second round, with Harper's first round score of 214 being the difference.
You can check results from the 2024 USA Archery Collegiate 3D Nationals, and relive the event with photos from each day.
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