Cullman, Alabama played host to the Archery Shooters Association (ASA) finale tournament of the 2018 season, where Elite Archery’s Garrett Ayersman reigned victorious in his first pro win, with teammate Jacob Marlow finishing on the podium in second.
On the first day of shooting at the beautiful Ave Maria Grotto, Ayersman led the pack with a 230 and 15x and maintained that lead through the second day of shooting, where he finished 50-up and tied for the lead with Denmark’s World Cup finalist Stephan Hansen.
“I felt like I was finally able to have two solid days with minimal errors. My equipment did its job perfectly and I was able to calm my nerves in the shootoff,” Ayersman said. “It’s been a dream of mine since my childhood to one day be in this position and I’m thrilled to get my first pro win at the ASA Classic!”
Like Ayersman, Marlow shot steady on Saturday with a 226 and 13x and finished Sunday 40-up, besting his opponents by x-count to secure a fourth seed spot in the shootdown. Ayersman maintained a steady and confident lead through the shootdown for the win, and Marlow charged from fourth to second for the podium finish.
“The final ASA of the year went well and I’m thrilled for a second-place finish,” Marlow said. “My Victory 37 hit behind the pin all weekend, not needing any adjustments even through the heat. I had a slow start Saturday morning, but was able to hit 4/5 of my last 12’s to get into the shootoff and climb to second – knowing exactly where my Victory would hit gave me all the confidence I needed.”
In his first year as a pro, Elite’s Jason Dickey, shooting a ReVol, earned an Open Pro Rookie of the Year title, while Madison Rutkowski, shooting an Energy 35, finished the weekend in 6th (Women’s Pro), Chance Beaubouef finished in 8th (Known Pro) shooting an Echelon 39.
“The 2018 ASA season concluded this past weekend and it did not disappoint,” said Darrin Christenberry, Elite Archery pro staff manager. “Our professional shooters, along with a host of incredible amateurs, had a very successful tournament and season with several Shooter of the Year titles and podium finishes – with new products and a new season just around the corner, I can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring.”
Elite Archery’s amateur contingent impressed at the Classic, with six Shooter of the Year titles and 11 podium finishes as of press time: