Dozens of Elite Archery’s best competed in the coveted Vegas Shoot over the weekend and the pro staff team earned five top podium finishes.
Rounding out the exciting weekend was the Men’s Vegas Shoot with a full complement of archery greats that brought plenty of excitement to the crowded stadium. Competing in the 9-man lineup were Team Elite’s Jacob Marlow and Kris Schaff. Schaff competed through elimination round after round to ultimately take second place in the tough competition.
"The sky is the limit for Kris Schaff. His win last month in Nimes seemed to fuel the fire for his desire to compete. His win in the World Cup finals Saturday night and his second place finish in the Vegas tournament, confirms that he is one of the most talented young archers in the world,” pro staff manager, Darrin Christenberry said. “I am proud of the effort that Kris is putting into his shooting. I am really happy that he decides to showcase his skills with an Elite bow in his hands!"
In the Women’s Pro division, Alexis Ruiz became the youngest female archer to win first place in the Women’s division Sunday night at The Vegas Shoot, as she and two other competitors fought for the podium.
“Team Elite is honored to have Alexis on board,” Christenberry said. “Competing on the world stage at her age is impressive to say the least, and she does so with grace, optimism and humility. We’re excited to see what 2018 has in store for her.”
Competing in the Senior Men’s division of The Vegas Shoot, Team Elite’s Keith Trail easily secured a first-place finish during the final 300 set Sunday morning, which allowed him to watch the second and third place shoot outs from the sidelines.
“What a great weekend! I can’t say enough about the quality equipment TOG has provided me to shoot,” Trail said. “My Victory X held like a rock today which let me focus on nothing but my shot placement.”
Another impressive finish came from Team Elite’s newest pro staff member, Jillian Ballangee, who won her collegiate division for the second year in a row. She became the first collegiate Vegas competitor to win back to back championships.
“Jillian continues to shine under pressure, which is an exciting thing to witness,” Christenberry said. “We’re incredibly proud of her progress and we know this year is going to be a stand-out year for her.”
Saturday evening closed out an incredible day of competitive archery as the fourth stage of the World Archery Indoor World Cup came to a close with Kris Schaff taking second place. Schaff battled through the brackets with extreme accuracy, dropping only one arrow the entire day during the semifinal, to continue to the gold medal match against Jesse Broadwater.
"This weekend was like no other I’ve ever had, going into Vegas with the most confidence in my equipment I’ve ever had I had huge expectations," Schaff said. "The Echelon 39 and the rest of my TOG products are top notch - without them I wouldn’t be where I am! I'm so thankful for everything Elite does for me and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store."
“We couldn’t be more proud of Team Elite’s performance this year at Vegas,” Christenberry reported. “While top spots are always sought after, I’m proud of how this team continues to come together and support one another. I’m thrilled to see the team hold their composure and to continue to compete at the highest levels with nothing but professionalism and poise under pressure.”
