PHOENIX, Ariz. – More than 750 archers are gathering in Phoenix for the 2025 AAE Arizona Cup, which marks the first of the four annual outdoor events that make up the United States Archery Team (USAT) Qualifier Series.
As well as being a USAT Qualifier Series event, the 72-arrow ranking round at the 2025 Arizona Cup will also serve as Stage #1 of the 2025 World Archery Championships U.S. Team Trials - Recurve.
This is the 36th edition of the Arizona Cup and will serve as the perfect preparation for the leading compound and recurve archers ahead of the Hyundai Archery World Cup Stage 1, which gets underway in Florida next Tuesday. New National Head Coach, Elias Cuesta, is casting a watchful eye over his archers this week in Phoenix.
Names to have triumphed at this event down the years include Olympians Jay Barrs, Denise Parker, Rick McKinney, Vic Wunderle, Richard Johnson, MacKenzie Brown, Brady Ellison, Zach Garrett, Casey Kaufhold, Jack Williams and Catalina GNoriega.
Arizona-born Ellison has won 10 times, stretching back to 2007 but not since 2022. The men’s recurve senior division has been won the last two years by Jackson Mirich – another Arizona native – and Jack Williams.
On the women’s side, Kaufhold has won four of the previous five in the recurve women senior category. The other success during that time went to GNoriega, who won gold in 2022. All five names previously mentioned will be at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility.
The compound division has been a little more open. Defending champions in the senior division, Mathias Fullerton (DEN) and Olivia Dean return in 2025. No man has successfully defended the title since Mike Schloesser won back-to-back in 2018-19. Paige Pearce won compound women three times in a row before Toja Ellison (2023) and Olivia Dean (2024) took top honors in that category.
Barebow has archers in both the men’s and women’s division seeking a hat-trick of wins. Marcus Cooley and Cindy Czako have been gold medalists the past two years.
In the 50+ division, the finalists from 2024 in recurve women – Janis Grellner and Nicole Rasor – should both be among the contenders in Arizona this weekend. Mark Hainline is back to defend his title in recurve 50+ men.
Larry Butterfield is on home soil, as is Kenneth Brunko, in compound 50+ men. Butterfield took gold ahead of his fellow Arizonan last year. Bronze medalist from 2024, Brent Brown, is also entered.
With no Deanna Cronin in the compound 50+ women, expect Sharon Totton – silver medalist to Cronin 12 months ago – to be in contention, as will beaten semifinalist last time out, Tamara Fontenot.
Rick Stonebraker is competing in the senior division this year, which means he will not defend his barebow 50+ men’s title. Last year’s silver medalist, Stephen Hilger, will be one to watch, as will bronze medalist Richard Doerksen and Bob Carroll, third seed after qualification rounds in ’24.
Barbara Carroll – who came close to upsetting top seed Medina Otajagic at the USA Archery Indoor Nationals Final earlier this year – will be keen to challenge in barebow 50+ women at the Arizona Cup. The local archer was number one seed last year but went out at the quarterfinal stage, with gold eventually going to Cheri Gandy. Gandy is back for more, as are the other medalists from the previous edition, Lisa Sullivan and Deb Dimatteo.
Paralympic champion Jason Tabansky will contest the W1 Open division. Compound open men will include Kevin Mather – the Paralympic recurve open champion from Tokyo 2020 – as well as K.J. Polish, among the USA team members at last year’s Games in Paris. Wendy Gardner will be the one to beat in compound open women.
The U21 and U18 divisions are overflowing with young talent. Jack Krengel (recurve U21 men) and Caelan Shanklin (recurve U18 men) were both involved at the Indoor Nationals Final in Vegas in March, while Sergio Garcia won compound mixed team gold last month, alongside Lanie Nish, at the 2nd Qualifier for the Junior Pan American Games.
Still just 14, Aarya Arun is back to defend his recurve U18 men’s title. Carson Chan, the silver medalist last year, also returns in that division. Another 14-year-old, Taylor Cho, is hoping to retain her recurve U18 women’s title. Riley Adams (barebow U21 women) needed a one arrow shoot-off to win gold in 2024. Madalynn Puryear and Destinie Brown will do battle once again in fixed pins U21 women. Madalynn’s younger sister, Delana, is among those contesting fixed pins U18 women.
LIVE SCORES/RESULTSPHOTO GALLERY
The senior gold medal matches in compound, barebow and recurve will be broadcast live on USA Archery’s YouTube channel from 2pm PST on Sunday.
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