2023 - First Quarter

KRIS SCHAFF TAKES VEGAS CROWN

TANJA GELLENTHIEN DEFEATS PEARCE FOR FEMALE TITLE

PLUS NEW INDOOR NATIONALS

CHAMPION

LEVI REITSMA

INSIDE:

SECTIONAL RESULTS

2023 HALL OF FAME

NFAA NATIONAL LEAGUE

Officers

President—Brian Sheffler 208 E. Oak Street Bainbridge, IN 46105 317/627-3401 lbsheff@comcast.net

Vice President—Doug Joyce 30 Willow Ave. Somerset, NJ 08873 732/713/6473 jdjarcher@aol.com

Executive Director – Bruce Cull 800 Archery Lane Yankton, SD 57078 605/661-0877 bcull@nfaausa.com

Executive Secretary –Michael Anderson

800 Archery Lane Yankton, SD 57078 605/260-9279 manderson@nfaausa.com

Council

Great Lakes

Rocky Kline

1108 N. Korby St. Kokomo, IN 46901 765-438-6413 rlkline1@comcast.net

Mid-Atlantic

Mike Price

1886 Melvin Hill Rd Phelps, NY 14532 315/548-4825 mpricesr1@gmail.com

Midwest Reginald “Shorty” Faber PO Box 66 Carthage, SD 57349 605/772-4468 shortyfaber@alliancecom. net

New England

William Hall PO Box 57 Willington, CT 06279 860/987-2660 inner10@yahoo.com

Northwest Hubert Sims PO Box 1713 Orofino, ID 83544 208/476-5377 hmsarchery1077@gmail.com

Southeast

Oliver Austin 1620 Yearling Trail, Tallahassee, FL, 32317 oaustin@fsu.edu 850/688-2800

Southern Lee Gregory 112 Ridge Oak Drive Georgetown, TX 78628-7613 512/966-2799 lee@dlprint.com

Southwest

Tom Daley 23121 Oak Mountain Ct. Auburn, CA 95602 650/722-2713 lestom70@gmail.com

Board of directors

GREAT LAKES Cassie Flood Director - IL 886 Laurel Drive, Elwood, IL 60421 cassieflood14@yahoo.com 815/546-2704

Michael Arison Director - IN 2301 E 16th St. Muncie, IN 47302 765-748-5477 psearison72@yahoo.com

Richard Hotchkiss Director - MI 11136 Horton Rd. Goodrich, MI 48438 810/845-6602 hotch58@yahoo.com

Norm Newman Director - OH 103 Aleutian Circle Kenton, OH 43326 419/673-0021

Bruce Trimble Director - WI 9444 Rainbows End Amherst Junction, WI 54407 715/254-7015 stringmaker@gmail.com

MID ATLANTIC Carol Protack Director – DE 107 Elm Ave. Newark, DE 19711 302/530-8387 carolpro@comcast.net

Tom Coblentz Director - MD 1 Ash Dr. Knoxville, MD 21758 301/834-7154 tomproarcher@gmail.com

Robert Wertz Director - PA 336 Third Street Hanover, PA 17331 717/451-7408 bulldogs4bean@aol.com

Jennifer Dean Director - NJ 115 Flipper Ave. Manahawkin, NJ 08050 609/290-0977 englishteach11@hotmail.com

Samantha Brenzel Director - NY 381 Roger Ave. North Tonawanda, NY 14120 716/930-0098 Sjbrenzel@gmail.com

Jim Quarles Director - VA 7911 Cherokee Rd Richmond, VA 23225 804/272-6512 jim427quarles@gmail.com

Donald Payne Director - WV 807 A Main Ave. Nitro, WV 25143 304/561-8495 b00tlegger.2003@gmail.com

NFAA OFFICERS, COUNCIL, & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MIDWEST Ron Sykora Director - IA 29658 510th Ave. Kelley, IA 50134 563/940-4892 rskyora3395 @gmail.com

Ray Manfull Director - KS

141 N. Abliene Valley Center, KS 67147 620/755-0464 cqbowhunter@sbcglobal.net

Rob Knutson Director - MN 18437 230th Ave. NW Big Lake, MN 55309 612/598-8276 rob@themnaa.org

Bill Myers Director – MO 2529 Braintree Dr. High Ridge, MO 63049 314/458-3571 billrmyers@gmail.com

Ed Christman Director - NE 3818 34th St. Columbus, NE 69601 402/563-3504 eChristman@neb.rr.com

Lee Hetletved Director – ND 4456 149 Ave. NW Bismarck, ND 58503 701/226-2775 leethetletved@gmail.com

Tim Withers Director - SD 222 Grey Goose Rd Pierre, SD 57501 605/280-6435 timwithers@ymail.com

NEW ENGLAND

Amber Sullivan Director - VT 275 Nason St St. Albans, VT 05478 802/782-9242 vermontjuniorarchers@ gmail.com

Pete Sweeney Director - CT 34A School St. Mystic, CT 06355 psweene01@gmail.com 401/644-6224

Michael Broadbent Director - ME 117 Webtser Rd. Lisbon, ME 04250 207/607-9115 mbhunta247@gmail.com

David Ferrie Director - MA 52 Sumner St Auburn, MA 01501 d.ferrie@charter.net

Michael Wright Director - NH PO box 237 Marlboro, NH 03455 603/209-8007 barebownh@aol.com

Sunil Verma

2 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

Director - RI PO Box 8830 Cranston, RI 02920 401/213/9532 sunil.verma.md@gmail.com

NORTHWEST

Brandon Higley Director - ID 835 Burley Ave. Buhl, ID 83316 208/308-4267 bugz30x@live.com

Justin Sabol Director - MT 8860 Bridger Canyon Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715 406/581-7347 Bridgercanyontaxidermy@ gmail.com

Bernie Punzalan Director - AK 1545 Hoyt St. SPC 8 Anchorage, AK 99508 316/258-0297

John Wainwright Director - OR 398 SW Bent Loop Powellbutte, OR 97753 541/420-0312 jvwriver04@hotmail.com

TC Parker Director - WA PO Box 613 Hoquiam, WA 98550 360/533-4698 parkertc@live.com

Andy Turnquist Director - WY 2060 Wolff Rd Gillette, WY 82718 307/257-7509 andyturn@bresnan.net

SOUTHEAST

Mike Albertson Director - AL 531 Laura Ln. Newton, AL 36352 334/324-9322 JMAlbertson@aol.com

Mike Spence Director - FL 189 Paul Poppell Road, Perry, FL, 32347 734/649-6375 grysbok1mike@aol.com

Richard Diederich Director - GA PO Box 227 Meldrim, GA 31318 912/748-8690 red1691@netzero.net

Glen Baxter Director - KY 189 Tanyard Park Pl, Apt 144 Louisville, KY 40229 502/262-6738 glen.baxter@quala.us.com

Joe Rozmus Director – NC 116 Trappers Run Drive Cary, NC 27513 919/606-5692 justxsroz@aol.com

Beth Anctil Director - SC 706 Chippendale Dr

Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 843/340-2357 wildchildarchery@gmail.com

James Maze Director – TN 367 Deep Gap Rd Jackson, TN 38301 731/422-5529 jamesmaze5529@gmail.com

SOUTHERN

Billy Jacobs

Director - MS 4107 Highway 51 NS Summit, MS 39666 601/248-4574 robinhood560@yahoo.com

Jim Metzger Director - LA 2019 Lovers Lane Shreveport, LA 71105 318/402-3381 GreyTrad@aol.com

Fred Hockett Director - OK 727 Kingsgate Rd. Yukon, OK 73099 405/202-7851 delainehockett@sbcglobal. net

Jay Lindsey Director - TX 1696 Blevins Dr. Keller, TX 76248 817/229-8298 jwljr@yahoo.com

SOUTHWEST Caytie Belzner Director - AZ 1083 N. Boyd Apache Junction, AZ 85119 480/620-4644 caytiebelzner@gmail.com

Gary McCain Director - CA 27928 Clear Creek Rd. Keene, CA 93531 661/809-0947 gary@bgmach.com

Randy Brabec Director - CO PO Box 27 Loma, CO 81524 970/xxx-xxxx rebowtune@gmail.com

George Kong Director - HI 1255 14th Ave Honolulu, HI 96816 808/734-5402

Jay Boushee Director - NM 1508 Mossy Cup Dr. Farmington, NM 87401 505/801-1240 jay_boushee@msn.com

John Thayer Director - NV 7215 W. Tara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89117 702/222-9878 mdthayer@cox.net

Regina Greenhalgh Director – UT 365 S. 100 W.

Nephi, UT 84648 435/610-6100 regie@utaharchery.org

Professional Representatives

Great Lakes Jeff Button 608/839-5137 jnbutton@aol.com

New England Crystal Gauvin 406-259-9801 gauvincj@gmail.com

Midwest Julene Hakl 651-462-1916 wjarchery@gmail.com

Mid-Atlantic Kendall Woody 434-929-0223 bulldog267@comcast.net

Northwest Shawnn Vincent 360-929-5613 shawnnv@hotmail.com

Southern Jimmy Butts 518-986-1395 platinumbow@yahoo.com

Southeast George Ryals IV 678-901-9861 griv@archerylive.cm

Southwest Randy Brabec 970-314-4971 rebowtune@gmail.com

Pro Chairperson Chuck Cooley 404 10th St. Watkins Glen, NY 14891 607/343-8990 chuckcooley@gmail.com

Certified Instructor Committee Vacant

Bowhunting Chairman VACANT

THE NFAA HAS 50 CHARTERED STATE ASSOCIATIONS. EMAIL US AT INFO@NFAAUSA.COM TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NFAA PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.

THE SPORT OF ARCHERY IS A HEALTHY AND EXCITING SPORT PROVIDING AN ACTIVITY IN WHICH THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN PARTICIPATE.

2023

april 9-10

break the barriers & NFAA 3d open & TEAM SHOOT

fresno, california

may

6-8

june 24-25

june/july

june 30-

july 2

july 21-23

nfaa national marked 3D championships

Straight arrow bowhunters

redding, california

nfaa midwest classic trail shoot

bass & Bucks, Inc.

Wabash, Indiana

Big sky open challenge

grand mesa bowmen

Grand Junction, Colorado

nfaa outdoor national field championships

darrington archers

darrington, washington

August 25-28

first dakota classic & nfaa outdoor target nationals

nfaa easton yankton archery Center

yankton, south dakota

nfaaus a.co m

Thank you to our 2023 NFAA and NFAA Foundation sponsors. If you are in the market for archery equipment, please consider supporting the businesses that have supported our organizations the most. Without the support of our sponsors, we would not be the same organization we are today.

2023 Hall of Fame Inductee

Charles “Charlie” Langston

If you were to ask most NFAA archers who competed at a national level in the 1980’s, it would be difficult to find anyone who had not heard of Charles “Charlie” Langston.

Charlie bow hunted for many years before trying field archery in 1978. After finishing 2nd at the Texas Field Archery Association (TFAA) state tournament that year, he was hooked. From 1978-1989, Charlie won an astounding 8 national championships. He set 6 TFAA records for BHFSL and FSL, 5 of which are still standing. At one time, he held all the NFAA national records for Pro BHFSL and BHFSL. Charlie’s past achievements include 12 state championships, 17 Sectional Championships, 8 NFAA National Championships, 1 IFAA Championship, and 3 Fresno Safari Championships. Despite all of these accomplishments, Charlie was always a very humble individual who felt the greatest compliment he had ever received was to be called by his first name by the late archery legend Fred Bear.

Many people remember Charlie for the countless new archers that he introduced to the sport. Charlie most treasured the camaraderie he found with other archers, and found many close friends within the sport. He enjoyed the precision and challenge of bow hunting, and was able to harvest many elk, bear, mule deer, and whitetail deer throughout his life.

Charlie was a Navy veteran and was in the logging business most of his life. He would cut logs with a chainsaw from sunrise to early afternoon, and then go home and shoot his bow into the night. When he wasn’t bow hunting, he loved to go fishing and spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors. Charlie passed away in 2003 and is buried in Houston National Cemetery.

Charles Langston was a true ambassador for the sport of archery, and the NFAA is proud to posthumously induct him into the NFAA Hall of Fame.

90 ARROWS IN VEGAS CONCLUDES WITH 27 CHAMPIONSHIP 900’S

Across all the divisions, we had 27 championship shooters, including two women, Tanja Gellenthien and Paige Pearce.

“Normally I don’t get nervous until the last end, and today I started getting nervous at the eighth end. So I knew it was going to be a little harder than usual. I’m super relieved it’s Tanja and I. We go back and forth all the time. We’ve both shot really well all weekend. It will be a good shoot off,” Pearce said.

During the final ends Pearce and Tanja were spotting for each other, and offering words of encouragement.

“A lot of people just see us as competitors down here, but we really are friends. We spend so much time together and we respect each other so much. While each of us wants to win, we want the other to do well,” Pearce said.

It’s not uncommon for the last end of a clean round to be the most nerve wracking, and on Gellenthien’s last end, she did one of the most difficult things in archery—letting down.

“I had to let down on the last arrow. It’s not one those you want to risk not making a good shot. I came up and it didn’t feel right. So I was like, let down you have enough time. Reset and make a strong shot, and I’m glad I did,” she said.

In the compound open division, Gellenthien’s husband, Braden, was one of the 25 archers to shoot a 900.

“Tanja and I have been training together everyday this year—working hard and pushing each other. I feel like I got most of my nerves out watching her get her 900, so when I did it was a little easier. I’m to the moon happy and I can’t wait to see what we do later today,” he said.

Last year’s Vegas champion and this year’s Indoor World Series Champion, Bodie Turner, shot a 900 and was also in the shoot off. “I’m just going to go as long as I can, and shoot as many Xs as I can in a row. That’s all I can really try for.” Turner said.

THE 2023 VEGAS SHOOT SETS RECORD REGISTRATION

The Vegas Shoot is back to setting record attendance with 3,911 archers registered for the 57th event. Since its inception in 1962 the Vegas Shoot has continued to grow in numbers and build its reputation as the premiere indoor archery event.

“I think this is the annual event, world wide, people will go no matter what. They want to see everybody, the camaraderie, the Vegas environment, all the big money to be won, and the prestige of the Vegas Shoot,” said Bruce Cull, CEO of the Vegas Shoot.

The previous record was set in 2020 with 3812 archers. After a slight dip in 2021, the numbers are back to new highs. The increase in participation is due to many factors, but one of them is that more people are enjoying archery.

“It’s awesome to see the continuance in growth and it makes you wonder what the limit will be. I can see this thing growing to 5,000 people you know in the next 10 years or

so, which should be awesome,” said professional archer and past Vegas Shoot champion, Jesse Broadwater.

Broadwater’s prediction of 5,000 archers attending the Vegas Shoot is right in line with the historic growth of the event.

“The sport of archery is growing, and in the last ten years we’ve doubled the size of the shoot,” said Cull.

One of the fastest growing areas in the sport is the skill level of youth archers. There’s no better example than the two 15-year-old archers that won the compound championship divisions last year against experienced professional archers.

“People are taking this serious enough at a young age. They are getting really good training and it means a lot to them. I think it’s one of the things making archery a break-out sport world wide,” Cull said.

Hundreds of youth archers also shot the Nevada State NASP, USA Archery Indoor Championship, and the S3DA Championship this week at the South Point Hotel and Casino.

scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

Not all of the 3,911 archers will be champions, but archery is a sport of individual improvement. Cull offers this advice to all the attendees, “Whether you’re a young ten-yearold or a seasoned professional archer, have fun.”

2023 The Vegas Shoot RESULTS

KRIS SCHAFF CAPS EARLY-YEAR COMEBACK BY WINNING VEGAS SHOOT CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY CHRIS WELLS

Kris Schaff beat former champion Kyle Douglas in the seventh end of the main event shootdown to win the 2023 Vegas Shoot and collect more than 100,000 USD in prize winnings including contingency.

It was all over with Douglas’ penultimate arrow, which landed high and right in the top spot of the triangular triple.

Schaff, shooting first in the down-the-line rotation now in use for Vegas Shootdowns, drilled a final 10 and turned around to hug renowned recurve archer Brady Ellison, standing metres behind and outside the field of play to offer words of encouragement.

“I’ve wanted this ever since I was little,” said the 30-year-old, a former Hyundai Archery World Cup and Indoor Archery World Series Champion, from inside the field of play.

“I’ve shot a ton of arrows this year and it’s paid off.”

Schaff was ranked in the top 10 in the world from late 2018 until early 2022 but his last significant run of results came at the start of that period.

In the last month, he’s won two majors – the Sud de France Archery Tournament in Nimes and now this weekend’s Vegas Shoot. Should this run of form continue, he’s certainly a name to watch heading into the rest of 2023.

Schaff’s previous best result in Vegas was second in 2018.

Twenty-six men began the compound open championship shootdown. (The main event in Vegas is open to both men and women, although there is also a compound women’s championship event, too.)

Jonathan Scott (USA), Dane Johnson (USA), JP Boulch (France), Federico Pagnoni (Italy), reigning World Archery Champion Nico Wiener

(Austria), Tim Jevsnik (Slovenia), Tim Hanley (USA), former World Archery Champion James Lutz (USA), Mathias Fullerton (Denmark), Drew Hortman (USA), Christian Clark (USA), Zachary Plonsky (USA), two-time Vegas Champion Kyle Douglas (USA), Jacob Marlow (USA), reigning Vegas Champion Bodie Turner (USA), former World Archery Champion Stephan Hansen (Denmark), multiple Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Braden Gellenthien (USA), indoor and outdoor circuit winner Kris Schaff (USA), Richard Bowen (USA), former World Archery Champion Chris Perkins (Canada), Robert Householder (USA), Jeff Raney (USA), Pan Am Games Champion Roberto Hernandez (El Salvador), Quentin Baraer (France) and Angus Moss (USA) comprised the list of 25 who shot perfect 900s.

Remington Boyer (USA) won the lucky dog, the sudden-death closest-to-the-middle eliminator between all the archers who dropped one point on the weekend, with the prize being the final ticket to the shootdown.

It took four ends to cut the field of 26 down to just four: Jevsnik, Fullerton, Douglas and Schaff. (Reigning champion Turner was dropped in the fourth.) In the fifth, Jevsnik and Fullerton both shot nines. The former archer, from Slovenia, would ultimately win the third-place tiebreak.

Down to two, it took just six more arrows in the high-pressure arena, which was packed with its biggest-ever crowd, to separate the pair and for Schaff to claim victory.

Douglas collected his second second-place finish on the weekend, having finished runner-up in the Indoor Archery World Series Finals – to Bodie Turner – last night.

The unique competition at the Vegas Shoot sees archers shoot 30 arrows a day over three days. (And compound archers use the big, recurve 10-ring.) Any archers tied for the lead after 90 arrows enter a shootdown to determine the winner.

At this year’s tournament, only one other shootdown for first was required – in the compound women’s championship event.

After Linda Ochoa-Anderson and Liko Arreola dropped points on the third day of competition, just Paige Pearce and Tanja Gellenthien finished the bulk of the tournament with perfect scores of 900 points, earning a return to the arena.

(The pair comprised two-thirds of the shootdown last year, alongside winner Arreola.)

A big low nine with her last arrow of the second end saw Pearce shake her head, then stand back and watch Gellenthien drill a small 10 and win her second Vegas Shoot after 2017.

“I don’t think I have any words for how I’m feeling right now,” she said. “I saw that she had missed and I was very nervous but I just tried to stay calm and shoot how I’d been doing all weekend.”

More than 3900 archers competed in this year’s biggest-ever Vegas Shoot at the South Point Hotel and Casino.

32 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

VEGAS SHOOT AWARDS $38,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO YOUTH ARCHERS

The conclusion of day two of competition is also the conclusion of the junior events at 2023’s edition of The Vegas Shoot.

Compound and recurve archers in the cub, youth, and young adult age categories had a $27,000 prize pool. Collegiate archers had an $8,000 prize pool plus a $1,550 prize pool for a team travel scholarship. Two $1,000 scholarships were also awarded to two essay contest winners.

Even cub and youth archers, who have years before attending higher education, can compete for scholarship money. The NFAA will track the scholarships for those young archers so they can keep winning money through the years to add to their fund.

The archers shot 60 arrows over two days, and the top three finishers in each division won scholarship money. In addition to the scholarships won through the archery competition, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded to one male and one female essay contest winner.

“I wrote in my essay that archery really helped me with my mental health because it’s a lot about focusing and maintaining balance. Archery has been a great outlet in my life and I’m really grateful for it,” said essay contest winner, Diane Kim.

“Writing is one of my greatest passions, so this means a lot to me. This scholarship is going to help me with college,” said essay contest winner, Rohan Tamhankar. “The essay is about my journey as an archer. I started archery when I was ten and progressed in my skill. I contemplated quitting, but decided against it and how I came back stronger from that.”

Scholarships at The Vegas Shoot are awarded by the National Field Archery Association in partnership with the Easton Foundations. The full essays can be read on the following pages.

TOP THREE FINISHERS IN EACH DIVISION, LISTED FIRST TO THIRD:

COMPOUND FEMALE

Cub: Peyton Smith, Alexandra Youmans, Amarie Dehoyos

Youth: Chloe Nelsen, Presley Pyper, Jadan Reed

Young Adult: Leann Drake, Lilie Aguilar, Chelsea Neville

COMPOUND MALE

Cub: Easton Rupp, Robert Thompson, Connor Goehring

Youth: Caleb Quiocho, Chase Pasmore, Clayton Frederick

Young Adult: Hunter Hall, Max Kusilek, Nazhruddin Macalandong

RECURVE FEMALE

Cub: Sara Tateshima, Lena Lee, Jina Chon

Youth: Abigail Kippes, Hailey Franzone, Jessimi Lyu

Young Adult: Isabella Kim, Whitney Williams, Laurel Anderson

RECURVE MALE

Cub: Matthias Pak, Anirudhkalyan Pinjala, Wesley Jones

Youth: Aarya Arun, Liam Lee, Brian J. Kim

Young Adult: Hugo Leonel Cueto Avalos, Chanyoung Mun, Daniel Kim

ESSAYS

MALE: Rohan Tamhankar FEMALE: Diane Kim

COLLEGIATE

Compound Male: Parker Bake, Nathan Wilken, Sawyer Sullivan

Compound Female: Anna Scarbrough, Carson Krahe, Zoe Woods

Recurve Male: Jackson Mirich, Alex Gilliam, T Sanchez

Recurve Female: Casey Kaufhold, Hannah Flores, Grace Lum

Recurve Barebow Male: Wallace Woodlief, Nicholas Duong, Jace Jensen

Recurve Barebow Female: Felice Pudya, Allison Collinsworth, Tianai Guo

Bowhunter Male: Nate Harper, Jordan Gregg, Riley Laws

Bowhunter Female: Sophia Hunziger, Emily Brandt, Emilia Miceli

Diane Kim

recurve young adult FEmale

Kim’s self-reflective essay called titled “What if I hit someone accidentally?” was selected by an independent panel of experts and won her a $1,000 scholarship.

Archery is full of what ifs. The first “what if’’ I encountered in fifth grade was the fear that my arrow on the plastic bow would somehow end up missing the target and swerving to hit a person (there wasn’t even anyone nearby). My heartbeat pounded so fiercely inside me I swore even my instructor could hear it. I anxiously tugged on the string placed complacent on my nose, and let go. The rush I felt when the arrow hit the target is a feeling I’ll never be able to replace.

A girl that only ever read about bows and arrows in mythical Greek stories was somehow holding a plastic bow and a rental quiver full of arrows, feeling eager to take her next shot. It didn’t seem like much, but it was the start of the sport I have fallen in love with for seven years of my life.

A year later, entering middle school as a wide eyed twelve year old, I quickly became overwhelmed with the new IB program I was entering, and tried to get in as much practice as I could. At this point, I had been practicing archery for two years, and became obsessed with my very own dark blue bow. Twice a week, my mother would drive my brother and I to Stockton, an hour away, to my Coach’s practice range. I would take in every single pointer and piece of advice and practice until I got it right. I’d burden myself with frustration every time my arrow failed to hit the gold, and wondered what I wasn’t doing right.

I spent my summers outside in the hundred degree heat, shooting as many arrows I could, while all the other archery campers would be inside taking a break. I pushed myself to a maximum until I burnt out.

“What if I’m not good enough?”

As I counted my success by the amount of golds I hit, I soon became flooded by the fear of simply being unskilled.

After every practice, my arm would be purple, on the verge of bleeding, and always swollen. The string would hit my arm every time I released the arrow, diminishing any glimpse of confidence I may have had. I followed every single step my coach advised me, yet nothing seemed to work.

Instead, I buried myself in school work, craving the validation I didn’t get in archery. I started picking up my bow throughout the week less, and became preoccupied with other activities I kept myself busy with.

Not wanting to give up the passion I had for archery, my mother desperately found a coach in San Jose that she heard was incredible. Wary due to my past experience, I nagged and complained the entire two hour drive there. In the dark of night, I met my new coach for the very first time. In the matter of minutes, she somehow taught me how to avoid hitting my arm when I shot. The pain I used to feel after every shot I took disappeared, and I suddenly became increasingly confident. Within one practice together, my new coach took away the problem I’ve dealt with for three years.

Flash forward, it was my freshman year in high school. The age of a pandemic. As everyone was quarantined, I facetimed my coach in my backyard, and set up a target outdoors to practice. While the world shut down, my love for archery never did.

A smile hidden by the blue mask over my face, I was eager to return to competitions when the pandemic settled down in 2021. My new coach and I finally got to work together more in person. With every lesson, I felt myself improving. All the “what ifs” I felt about feeling insufficient were beginning to fade.

“What

if I could help others?”

Now, as a 17 year old junior, I reflect on my journey of archery. I remember the scared little girl I was when I began shooting, and how much I’ve grown alongside archery. Seeking to create the same feeling and growth for others, I underwent training and got a coach certificate through UC Berkeley’s archery facility and program.

Now, I get to serve as an assistant coach and uplift young archers who may struggle with confidence and have the same amount of negative “what ifs” as I first did.

The first young archer I had the opportunity to help was a little boy named Theo. Although I didn’t know it at the time, Theo had a critical medical condition that made him weak and prone to illness. I gave Theo a few pointers, and made him believe in himself more, by uplifting him with positive comments. With a little bit of encouragement, Theo’s performance improved and he was noticeably more joyful. Even his mother noticed that he felt happier and more confident, and thanked me for believing in him. At that moment, I fell in love with coaching and using my experience to help others.

While I still compete, I now continue to be an assistant coach in a local, state, national, and soon at an international level, and am able to spread my love for archery by encouraging young archers to believe their very own potential that they already have in them.

As I’ve grown alongside archery for seven years, I’ve learned that archery is a mental game. You have to trust yourself, what you know, and your instincts; even when it feels impossible. With a single distraction or negative thought, your whole shot could be ruined. As I teach younger archers, I realized that I’ve always had it in me, I just had to start believing in myself. The ten year old version of myself that overthought every single shot she took would be beaming with joy by how easygoing and comfortable I have grown to become. The lingering what ifs that once clouded my brain are now turned to the question “what now?”

Rohan Tamhankar

COMPOUND YOUTH MALE

Ninth grader, Rohan Tamhankar, won a $1,000 scholarship for his essay detailing his archery journey.

When I was young, my grandparents loved to sit me down and tell me stories. I particularly enjoyed stories from the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic about a war between five brothers and their one hundred cousins. Above all of the characters, one stood out to me the most: Arjun. Arjun was one of the five brothers, and he was known for his archery skills. From a young age, I idolized Arjun. Many stories from the Mahabharata demonstrated Arjun’s skill, but one story stuck with me more than the rest.

When Drupada, a king, held a swayamvar (a ceremony to choose a groom) for his daughter Draupadi, he issued a challenge. Each potential groom had to pick up an extremely heavy steel bow and string it. Then came the hard part: each contender had to shoot five arrows through a small hole in a metal fish. The fish rotated around a pole suspended from the ceiling. As if the challenge was not difficult enough as it was, each contender would have to aim at the fish while only looking at its reflection in a pool of water below.

Only Arjun succeeded in this seemingly impossible task, showing his undeniable skill at archery. As I grew up, the challenge stuck in my mind, and I began to wonder if I could complete it and develop skills to rival Arjun’s.

I began learning how to shoot a barebow when I was ten. Since Arjun had used a barebow, I wanted to shoot with one. However, keeping my arrows in a group with a barebow was much too difficult for an impatient ten-year-old. I could not understand what caused the drastic changes in each shot. After six months, I decided to switch disciplines and become a compound archer. With my compound bow, it was much easier to aim and keep my arrows in a group. This came with a cost, however; the bow was heavy and much more physically taxing than the barebow that I was used to shooting.

Because of how physically demanding my compound bow was, I decided to create a workout regimen. After some research, I was able to create a list of exercises that I should do every day to make it easier to draw and hold the bow. However, I often succumbed to laziness and failed to complete the exercises, and my archery skills suffered as a result. After three months, I decided that for me to be able to shoot my bow with ease, my indolence had to end. I began to devoutly work out nearly every day. As my strength grew, it became easier to shoot my bow. Even though it was less difficult to hold my bow and pull the string, I did not score as well as I thought I should as a compound archer.

For a very long time, it puzzled me why I did not score as well as other archers at tournaments. After three years of practicing archery, I was not as good as I thought I would be. I had seen barebow archers that had only started months prior shoot better scores than I did. I tried to focus on my form, but I found no flaws in it. For quite some time, I did not know what to improve on to score better. I began to wonder if it was impossible for me to do well at archery.

I even contemplated quitting archery. However, I decided against that drastic decision because I realized how much I value archery. I found a sport that I truly enjoyed. Practicing at the nearby archery range had become the highlight of my days. What’s more, archery helped me focus and improved my mood. It provided great exercise for the arms, shoulders, and back. I am glad that I thought of quitting because it was only through questioning whether I should continue that I realized just how much the sport meant to me.

One day, my coach noticed that my anchor point was not consistent in each shot. I finally had something to improve on. Even though it was a small factor, it improved my arrow groups significantly, and it revitalized my faith in myself. I had proven to myself that I could be good at archery. From that point on, I stopped viewing archery as a hobby and I began to see it as a sport. Once I adjusted my mindset, I was able to enjoy archery even more. I began to do better at tournaments and my overall attitude improved as well. However, there was one last hurdle before me.

Even though I now had undeniable skill at archery, I still felt as though something was missing. I realized that even though I had practiced archery for five years, I had no archery friends. I am not a social person, and I never thought of making friends with other archers. However, one day, I met another archer who was four years younger than me. She had the same bag as me, so we coordinated where we put our bags to avoid mix-ups. My resulting friendship with her led to me becoming more social and more friendly with other archers. I also was able to connect with a fellow archer from my school as well as other archers from my range. Finally, I was content with myself.

Over the course of five years, I switched disciplines, conquered my laziness, restored my faith in myself, built my archery skills, and adjusted my mindset in the pursuit of achieving a task whose difficulty I only now fully comprehend. Even now, I cannot complete the challenge at Draupadi’s ceremony, but that only provides me more motivation to continue my archery journey and become even better.

I verify that the submitted essay is my original work and does not infringe the rights of any other party. I acknowledge that by submitting this essay, I give the NFAA Foundation permission to publish any portion of my work across their media platforms.

The 2023 National Indoor League was a great success with 116 league hosts around the country and 417 registered archers! The National League took place over 12 weeks with archers required to submit 4 Vegas round scores and 4 NFAA 300 round scores. Archers could compete on any 20-yard range around the country and submitted their scores via an online form. Eligible NFAA clubs and shops also received rebates for each archer they hosted. The NFAA looks forward to offering the National Outdoor League this summer, both Field and Target versions. Check the NFAA website for more details!

44 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

SHOOT LOCALLY - COMPETE NATIONALLY

t w o o u t d o o r l e a g u e s -

j o i n o n e o r b o t h !

f i e l d l e a g u e

T a r g e t l e a g u e

j u n e 4 - a u g u s t 2 7

1 2 w e e k s e a c h

s u b m i t y o u r b e s t 8 s c o r e s

p a r t i c i p a n t s e n t e r e d t o w i n

n a t i o n a l e v e n t r e g i s t r a t i o n & m o r e

N F A A C l u b ? Y o u m a y b e

e l i g i b l e f o r h o s t i n g r e b a t e s !

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

NFAA RELEASES ADDITIONAL DATES FOR 2024

JANUARY Rushmore Rumble

5-7

NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center

Yankton, SD

FEBRUARY

1-4

The Vegas Shoot

South Point Hotel & Casino

Las Vegas, NV

Finally, kicking off 2024 with another great tournament: the Rushmore Rumble, January 5-7, 2024 at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center in Yankton, SD. In just two years, this event format has become popular and well-attended, with over 700 participants in 2021. The Rushmore Rumble will feature Flight and Championship categories with payouts for all divisions, including scholarships for junior archers. 2 0 2 4

The National Field Archery Association Foundation (NFAAF) has announced the dates for the 58th annual Vegas Shoot The Vegas Shoot is the World's largest indoor archery tournament, held annually at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. "After our biggest year ever in 2023, our goal is to break 5,000 registered archers in 2024! We have enormous momentum growing among The Vegas Shoot and our partner events and we know it's possible!" encouraged Bruce Cull, NFAA Foundation President "The room block is open, so mark your calendars and start planning for February 2024. We promise you won't want to miss this one We are excited to welcome everyone back and hope to see a ton of new faces!"

MARCH

NFAA Indoor National Championship

Kentucky Convention Center Louisville, KY 15-17

The National Field Archery Association (NFAA) has announced the dates for the 44th annual Indoor National Championships. The NFAA Indoor Nationals brings together the top NFAA archers from around the U.S. to shoot the iconic 5-spot, blue and white face. The tournament was started in 1980 in Omaha, NE with just 500 attendees. It has called several cities home, including Kansas City, Tulsa, and Louisville. The 2024 Indoor National will return to Louisville, Kentucky.

Straight Arrow Bow Hunters Inc Presents

39th Annual and 29th Annual May 5th – 7th, 2023

NFAA Marked 3D National Championship

The action starts Thursday, May 4th at 8am with our BLIND DRAW TEAM EVENT/FUN SHOOT

Big Raffle Friday & Saturday

Vendor booths open Thursday afternoon

8am starting time all days - Shoot rain or shine

HIGH DRAW & SKYJACKERS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED

BLM camping available April 24, BLM fee applies

Reserved Range Camping $175/month - go to SAB website to reserve beginning 2/1/2023

25 targets Fri, 25 targets Sat, 20 targets Sun

2 arrow shoot, scoring 11 10-8

NFAA shooting styles recognized (varies by age class):

Freestyle

Freestyle Limited

Bowhunter Freestyle

Freestyle Limited Recurve

Barebow

Longbow

Barebow Recurve

Traditional

Come shoot at the 101 yard Bigfoot, the 88 yard elk herd and the 4 yard butterfly

TRAIL SHOOT ENTRY FEES:

All archers must pay the Trail Shoot fee. Pre-register by April 1st to get the early bird rate. Refund requests must be received by April 1st and are subject to a $25 admin fee. No refunds after April 1st, 2023.

Age Class Early Bird Rate After April 8th

ADULT (18+ yrs) $80 $100

Young Adult (15-17 yrs) $50 $70

Youth (12-14 yrs) $30 $50

Cub (8-11 yrs) $15 $35

Pee Wee (2-7 yrs) $10 $30

CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ENTRY FEES:

All Championship Division shooters must pay the Trail Shoot fees plus the fees below.

Men and Women Individual entry $150

Men and Women Team (per archer)** $50

**All team archers must enter the individual

NFAA TOURNAMENT FEES:

All archers entering NFAA tournament must pay Trail Shoot fees

Individual $25

Pro Division $125

***REGISTER ONLINE by April 1st to get the early bird rate!***

www.straightarrowbowhunters.com

Click on the Western Classic Link to go to the WC Home Page REGISTRATION QUESTIONS – reg@straightarrowbowhunters.com

⮚ You can request a target when you register online, but it is not guaranteed.

⮚ All Trail Shooters will be flighted for awards

⮚ High Draw rules will be enforced by Tournament Officials

Straight Arrow Bow Hunters is located at 9317 Swasey Dr, Redding, CA (No mail accepted at this address) GPS coordinates: 40.57928 -122.35681

For additional information:

Tournament Director Valerie Castro - td@straightarrowbowhunters.com

Registration info: Leslie Gilleland (530) 710-3197 reg@straightarrowbowhunters.com

The Bow Rack (530) 243-5181

Ron Peery – Club President

Limited camping available on the range by reservation only Limited camping on BLM property will be available. Check our website for updates beginning March 15th.

scores, tournament info and more at

SERVICE PINS

The following members celebrated a service pin anniversary in 2022. It is with sincere appreciation that we recognize their continued support of the National Field Archery Association.

52 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

2023 NFAA indoor national chamPionship RESULTS

Nameplates for bowl winners will be mailed in the next few weeks. First place winners in flights will also receive an award.

58 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

62 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

64 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

arrows shot for score national

payouts

Complete sectional tournament information & results are available online at www

Check your section on the following pages or online to find a location for an outdoor sectional tournament. Archers MUST register online. Onsite registration may not be available. Early registration deadline is 2 calendar days prior to the start of competition. A $15 late fee will be assessed on and after this deadline. Scan the QR code below for more information on each sectional event and to register. You can also book your hotel online with discounted hotel pricing.

Archers MUST register online for any sectional event.

REGISTER HERE

DISCOUNTED HOTEL/ ACCOMMODATIONS

NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center

800 Archery Lane

Yankton, SD, 57078

June 17-18

Contact Zena Ross, zross@neyac.org, (605) 689-0497

Tri County Rod & Gun Club

18753 Stillwell Road

Linwood, KS 66052

June 17-18

Contact Nate Klein, naklein1974@hotmail.com, (913) 961-7190

Rapids Archery

1255 133rd Ave NW

Andover, MN 55304

June 17-18

Contact Rob Knutson, motorob362@gmail.com, (612) 598-8276

ARIZONA | CALIFORNIA COLORADO | HAWAII NEW MEXICO | NEVADA UTAH

2023 Midwest Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Midwest Indoor Sectional Results

Jay County Bitteridge Archers 6243 South 325 West Portland, IN 47371

June 17-18

Contact Doug Davis, douglasndavis@gmail.com, (765) 209-4260

Joliet Archery Club 3700 W Francis Rd New Lenox, IL 60451

June 17-18

Contact Roberta Kristofer, bobbie.kristofer@gmail.com, (815) 503-1549

Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club 4770 Waterford Rd Clarkston, MI 48346

June 17-18

Contact Rick Hotchkiss, hotch58@yahoo.com, (810) 845-6602

Beloit Field Archers 9243 W Cleophas Road Beloit, WI 53511

June 17-18

Contact Karl Nelson, karl@beloitfieldarchers.com, (608) 201-4385

2023 Great Lakes Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Great Lakes Indoor Sectional Results

Northwest Section

ALASKA | IDAHO MONTANA | OREGON WASHINGTON | WYOMING

Cascadian

2023 25 Scott Lanier AMFS AK 585 70 26 Billy Scott AMFS OR 580 58 27 Steve Lee AMFS OR 579 51 28 Frederick Haberman AMFS ID 567 52 29 Gerardo Jubis AMFS OR 547 38 30 Tom Remaklus AMFS AK 268 18 1 Brandon Tenner AMFSLR OR 559 33 2 Gregory Collier AMFSLR OR 528 23 3 Noah Bager AMFSLR WA 510 17 4 Tom Whitelaw AMFSLR OR 504 18 1 Robert Jokinen AMLB OR 431 7 2 Michael Ellerbe AMLB OR 401 5 3 Don Mendez AMLB OR 352 5 1 Jeff Davis AMTRAD OR 387 3 2 Ben Roth AMTRAD OR 369 0 3 Adrien Protzel AMTRAD OR 303 3 4 Christian Shachmut AMTRAD WA 151 0 Cub Divisions 1 Amelia Cheung CFBHFS WA 579 50 2 Sanvi Joshi CFBHFS WA 562 35 3 Ellie Woodhead CFBHFS AK 539 27 4 Ali Ham CFBHFS ID 452 12 1 Kayla Lee CFFSLR OR 531 27 1 Colton Cress CMBB OR 539 20 1 Montey Steele CMBHFS AK 587 49 2 Landon Gilman CMBHFS OR 500 15 3 David Griesinger CMBHFS AK 453 17 4 Levi Steele CMBHFS AK 302 0 1 Edward Lutkehus CMFS MT 555 38 2 Ty Doran CMFS WA 417 8 Master Senior Divisions 1 Robert Shelfer MSMBB WA 495 16 1 James Steele MSMFS OR 592 79 2 Leroy Dukes MSMFS WA 580 50 3 Larry Delaunay MSMFS OR 552 28 1 John Czekala MSMTRAD OR 462 11 Professional Divisions 1 Faith Fleagle PFFS AK 600 110

2023 Northwest Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Southern Outdoor Sectional Information

Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Southern Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Southern Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Southern Indoor Sectional Results

Southwest Section

2023

2023 Southwest Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Southwest Indoor Sectional Results

5 Brayton Goodrich CMBHFS UT 176

6 Bruxtyn Bigelow CMBHFS UT 126

7 Elliot Petty CMBHFS UT 103

1 Kotah Gross CMFS UT 519

2 Cruzdyn Woody CMFS UT 494

3

2023 Southwest Indoor Sectional Results

2 Madison Ritter YAFFS UT 586 26

3 Taylor Obiano-Julian YAFFS NV 555 11

4 Salisha Swett YAFFS UT 555 9

5 Harleigh Steiness YAFFS AZ 551 13

6 Shraddha Ajit YAFFS CA 528 4

7 Robin Enget YAFFS NV 520 8

8 Alyssa Slaugh YAFFS UT 393 0

9

Mid-Atlantic Section

DELAWARE | MARYLAND PENNSYLVANIA | NEW JERSEY NEW YORK | VIRGINIA WEST VIRGINIA

Mike Price, Councilman

mpricesr1@gmail.com

2023 Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional Information

Augusta Archers 336 Archery Lane Staunton, VA 24401 June 17-18

Contact Scott Gumann, vabwhntr@comcast.net, (540) 290-9240

2023 Mid-Atlantic Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Mid-Atlantic Indoor Sectional Results

86 scores, tournament info and more at nfaausa.com

2023 Mid-Atlantic Indoor Sectional Results

2023 Mid-Atlantic Indoor Sectional Results

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As one of my students stood on the practice range and warmed up for the start of a big tournament, I noticed a premature movement in his bow arm just before the shot was released. Approaching him, I firmly suggested, “Quit aiming and get your mind where it belongs.” He knew exactly what I meant.

At one time or another, most archers are hampered by the effects of target panic. I like to describe the condition as the involuntary reaction to a “fear of missing.” It usually happens when too many negative thoughts are going through the archer’s mind as the shot is being executed. The archer is uncomfortable with the situation and worried about missing, which then results in a panic attack.

I truly believe the main cause of target panic is over-aiming. Far too much emphasis is

AVOID TARGET PANIC

By Terry Wunderle

placed on “Aim! Aim! Aim!”

When this is the primary focus, the brain is giving the archer a green light “yes” signal if the pin is on the mark and a red light “no” signal when it is not. During a typical shot sequence, the subconscious and/or conscious mind is sending these opposing commands to the voluntary muscles used in the shot process. Consequently, the shot execution starts and stops until the arrow is finally released. Such conflict heightens the archer’s level of tension. Since the emphasis is on aiming, the mixed signals end up giving the shooter target panic.

Then what is the best way to avoid or overcome target panic? For successful shot execution, the archer should shoot from the conscious mind and keep the focus where it belongs – on form. Most shots are missed because of a breakdown in form, rather than the failure to place the pin perfectly on the target. When muscles are tightened in order to center the pin precisely on the mark, one is actually causing additional sight movement and increasing the “yes-no” effect. A relaxed form that allows the pin to float will have far less movement and will let the bow arm react the same way each time the arrow

To avoid target panic, take charge of your thought process. Concentrate on producing each shot with perfect form, which is something you can control. Develop a positive mental image and greater confidence as you produce the shot sequence from your conscious mind. By focusing entirely on shooting with your best form, your mind will not be giving you the conflicting “yes-no” signals that create target panic.

If you are a finger shooter, make sure you have a consistent, clean release. For those using a mechanical release, I highly recommend one with back tension. There is no trigger to intensify the “yes-no” effect. All you need to do is allow the pin to float on the target and pull with your back muscles until the release goes off. With back tension, you are forced to shoot good form if it is set off properly. Many of the archers whom I coach practice with a back tension release, but shoot a trigger release at the tournaments. Training in this manner helps them develop correct form and prevents them from experiencing target panic. Because target panic is a mental problem, eliminate it with your mind and focus on form.

[Terry has coached students to over 350 national and world titles and set over 450 national and world records. This article and more of his professional coaching tips are in his book, Archery: Think and Shoot Like a Champion, found at wunderlearchery.com.]

A Century of Champions.