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Elite Archery’s young star, Alexis Ruiz, has proved once again that she’s a top contender on the competition archery field, having just earned three medals at the USA National Target Championships and U.S. Open tournaments in Dublin, Ohio over the weekend.
The first day of qualifications brought ideal weather conditions and an excellent round of arrows for Ruiz, shooting a Victory X, who earned her first gold medal in the mixed team shoot with her partner, Matt Sullivan. Team competitions were new and optional in this 134th annual competition, as the USA continues to dominate the global field from a team and mixed team perspective. Archers were permitted to select their own teams with the goal of increasing the opportunity to practice the unique competition style.
“Young and talented probably best describes Alexis Ruiz – it’s no accident that she has been so successful in her young archery career,” said Darrin Christenberry, Elite Archery pro staff manager. “She works harder than anyone in the sport and shoots hundreds, if not thousands of arrows each week. With her dedication and work ethic, the sky is the limit for this young lady!”
Day two of qualifications produced similar results, with Ruiz seeded 5th individually at the end of the round. The afternoon brought bracket rounds for the women’s team competition, comprised of Ruiz, Cassidy Cox and Sophia Strachan. The women put up a 57-58-59-60 round for the gold medal finish.
On the final day of shooting the U.S. Open, Ruiz fought through qualifications and elimination rounds to find herself in the gold medal match with Breanna Theodore. The women exchanged arrows in a close match that resulted in a silver medal for Ruiz, making it her third for the weekend.
“When I stepped to the line during the gold medal match I was nervous, but when I was shooting everything felt great,” Ruiz said. “I was aiming well, and although I didn’t get the gold medal, I’m still very happy with how did because it was only a one point difference in the final score.
Competing together one again this year as a team were Elite Archery’s Reo Wilde and Kris Schaff, with their partner Matt Sullivan. The trio earned a gold team finish for the men’s compound division. Schaff finished 5th on the weekend, Wilde finished in 7th, and Curtis Broadnax finished in 14th.
