The Rally: Celebrating 25 Years of Bowtech and Its Community

In July 2024, Bowtech celebrates 25 years of archery excellence with The Rally, a landmark 3-D archery event commemorating Bowtech’s dedication to archery advancements and its passionate community. Held in Cave City, Kentucky, and proudly powered by Mountain Archery Fest, The Rally invites archery enthusiasts of all levels to join in an unforgettable weekend.

Event Details:

• Date: July 26: Open exclusively to Bowtech bow owners. July 27 and 28: Open to all.
• Location: Cave City, Kentucky.
• Cost: $50 flat rate for Bowtech bow owners, $75 per day for non-Bowtech bow owners.
• Click here for registration information.

Highlights:

• Five challenging 3-D archery courses.
• Educational workshops and seminars.
• Communal dinners, daily food trucks, and live music.
• An expansive Vendor Village featuring exclusive event partners and giveaways.

The Rally is tailored to those who shoot Bowtech bows. While Saturday and Sunday are open to all archers, Friday, July 26, is a VIP experience exclusive to those who own a Bowtech bow. As a VIP, Bowtech owners will enjoy:

• Exclusive Access: Friday, July 26, is reserved just for Bowtech owners.
• Early Registration: Bowtech owners get priority sign-up.
• Special Rates: Bowtech owners receive a discounted event fee of $50 for all 3 days.
• VIP Perks: Exclusive check-in with $100+ swag bags, access to VIP-only areas, and a complimentary dinner on Owners Day.
• Unlimited Practice: Access to Bowtech owners-only practice range.

A standout feature of The Rally is Bowtech's partnership with Folds of Honor, an organization that provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders. A portion of the event's proceeds, along with earnings from raffles and novelty shots, will be donated to support Folds of Honor and its noble cause. This partnership highlights Bowtech's dedication to giving back to the community and honoring those who protect our freedoms.

“We are incredibly proud to reach this 25-year milestone and couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by hosting an event that brings our community together while supporting such a meaningful cause," said Bowtech VP of Marketing Mitch Mitchell. "'The Rally is more than a 3-D archery event; it's a tribute to our loyal customers, our dedicated team, and the enduring spirit of archery.”

Participants will have the chance to win exciting prizes from Bowtech and other partner brands during the weekend. They can also meet Bowtech ambassadors, including:

• Michael Hunsucker and Shawn Luchtel from the popular show Heartland Bowhunter
• Mike Stroff from Savage Outdoors & The One
• Paige Pearce: Top female professional target archer
• Eva Shockey: Celebrated hunter, TV personality, and author
• Allie Butler: Hunt & lifestyle influencer and enthusiast. 

Olympic and Paralympic Teams Confirmed for Paris

After 257 days, names are now known for the USA team being sent to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and include multi-Olympic medalist Brady Ellison and women’s world No. 1, Casey Kaufhold.

From Stage #1 in Malvern, Pennsylvania, last August, Ellison and Kaufhold have set the standard. Kaufhold will be joined on the plane to Paris by debutant Catalina GNoriega and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez who, like Kaufhold, is set for a second Games.

“We are all genuinely so excited,” said Kaufhold. “The three of us girls have been talking about this since we’ve been shooting so well in team rounds the last few years, so we’re super excited to have this opportunity.”

To date, the USA has claimed one quota slot in the men’s division for the Olympic Games. The maximum allowed is three. The Final Qualification Tournament (FQT) will be held next month with World Cup Stage #3 in Turkey.

Remaining quota slots will then be allocated to the host nation and other countries based on team world rankings.

Waiting to fill those two remaining slots are Trenton Cowles and Jack Williams. Like GNoriega, the Texas A&M collegiate archer Cowles would appear at a first Games, while Williams – as with Mucino-Fernandez – it would be a second after Tokyo 3 years ago.

Assistant National Head Coach Chris Webster said, “This women’s team has been on fire last couple of years. They’ve been able to work with each other at high profile events, and I couldn’t be happier to have them.

“Obviously Brady going is pretty solid, and really wanting the other two guys to fill the quota slots at the FQT or at a minimum for the world ranking piece, but this is shaping up to be a really, really positive direction for us as a team, and I'm really excited.”

GNoriega was an alternate for the Tokyo Games last time around. Her beaming smile said it all as the six sat digesting the day’s events, adding “I think it’s really special that we all get along really well. We’re really connected as a team and as people, and that’s really exciting.”

On the day the Olympic Trials ended, there were also slots filled on the Paralympic side, where a 15-year-old, who had not even been born when his teammate made his Paralympic Games debut, will make his first appearance at the Paris Games this summer.

Jordan White finished ahead of Eric Bennett in the recurve open men’s division, with both booking their berth to the Paralympic Games, which begin at the end of August.

Bennett will be appearing at his fifth Paralympic Games, having featured in Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020). White, a freshman in high school and not 16 until November, will make his debut in the French capital.

The teenager from Austin, Texas – who has never been outside of the United States – will be boarding a flight for Paris later in the year as part of Team USA at the Paralympic Games.

“It hasn’t quite hit me yet,” White said. “But it means everything to me. I’ve worked so hard the past year to get to this point.”

Like his former high school teacher Bennett, this will also be a fifth Games for Ellison. He won team silver medals at the 2012 Games in London and 2016 Games in Rio, from where he also returned with an individual bronze.

He said after the team was known, “Everybody fought during Trials and everyone sitting here never gave up. They were serious about Trials. They took every point at Trials serious from starting a year ago and every arrow was shot with the intent of making the team, and that’s why we’re here.”

The Paralympic Games team also includes KJ Polish, Matt Stutzman (compound open men) and Tracy Otto (W1 women). It will be a third Paralympic Games for Polish and a fourth for Stutzman. Stutzman was a silver medalist at the London Games. Polish suggests he is in the form of his life.

Otto, who only took up archery three years ago, could not contain her delight after having her place at the Paralympic Games confirmed on Monday afternoon, before severe weather delayed the conclusion of the recurve and compound portion of Trials.

She said on being presented with the official team jersey, “I lost it. I was crying. I was so at a loss for words. I couldn’t believe that we had done it, and I say ‘we’ because it’s not just me on this journey, it’s the community behind me, including (boyfriend) Ricky.

“Everything’s becoming real. It’s like ‘what, me, who, we did what, when, how?’ Just coming from where we did, to where we were almost dead to being a Paralympic athlete is unreal.”

For Cowles, he now heads north to Statesboro, Georgia for the 2024 USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals. Ellison, Williams, Kaufhold, GNoriega and Mucino-Fernandez will board a flight to Korea for World Cup Stage #2.

There remains work to be done for all the athletes heading to Paris, but with places secured, there has been a shift in mindset according to Kaufhold, who said confidently, “The dream of winning gold is no longer just a dream, it’s now the goal.”

Easton X10 Shooters Sweep the Podium at the 2024 Western Classic Trail Shoot

Easton X10 shooters showcased exceptional talent and precision this year at the highly anticipated 2024 Western Classic Trail Shoot in Redding, California. Amongst a field of elite archers, James Lutz and Mike Schloesser stood out with their remarkable skills and determination, culminating in a thrilling shoot-off for the top position. Lutz emerged triumphant as the Redding champion, solidifying his reputation as one of the finest archers in the sport. His exceptional performance throughout the competition demonstrated the outstanding precision and reliability of the Easton X10 Pro Tour shaft.

Mike Schloesser, renowned for consistent podium appearances, delivered a stellar performance, securing a runner-up finish. Schloesser's mastery shooting X10 arrows further highlighted the quality and performance of Easton products on the competitive stage. Louis Price, another standout talent who relies on X10 shafts, showcased remarkable skill and determination, claiming a well-deserved spot on the podium with a third-place finish.

The podium sweep by Lutz, Schloesser and Price, demonstrated the superiority of the X10 further cementing Easton's reputation as the leading provider of high-performance archery arrows.

Texas A&M Wins 2024 USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals

Texas A&M University recently won the Overall National Team Championship following 3 days of high-level competition at the 2024 USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals.

Defending champions from the University of the Cumberlands finished second, while University of Pikeville came in third.

University of Pikeville had a great final day, winning gold in both barebow and compound mixed teams. University of the Cumberlands took top honors in fixed pins, while the spoils were shared in recurve between University of the Cumberlands and Texas A&M (TAMU) after severe weather forced an early end to what had been a thrilling Collegiate Target Nationals inside Georgia Southern University.

Connor Mullis and Kimber Wheeler (University of the Cumberlands) led from start to finish in claiming gold in fixed pins mixed team, overcoming Lindsey Wilson College duo Wyatt Burtts and Sophia Hunziger 151-146.

Collegiate archery events bring with them rivalry as well as fantastic support, which is something Mullis picked up on after their victory. He said, “It’s a lot different whenever you’re shooting qualification. It’s quiet. But once you get into something like this, it’s all the people you know and love pulling for you and cheering you on, and it makes the environment a lot better.”

At this point, Pikeville took over, starting with barebow success for Maggie Brensinger and John Stephens courtesy of a shoot-off win over Venugopal Kunnavakkam and Rosalyn Easley (TAMU).

Brensinger set a new U21 world record during the individual qualification round and is also the 2024 Indoor Nationals Final winner. The barebow talent humbly suggested the success was down to the support of her team and her parents.

Compound gold followed for Pikeville, as Matthew Russell and Alyssa Tenney defeated Daniel Carlton Jr. and Rachel Flack 154-150.

And then the storm clouds gathered, just as Trenton Cowles and Alyssa Artz were set to do battle with Clay Weaver and Brianna Laux, the one and two seeds respectively from TAMU and the University of the Cumberlands.

What had initially been hoped would be a brief break became more drawn out, eventually forcing organizers to crown both teams as gold medalists with the severe weather lingering longer than expected in the Statesboro area.

This was the second year in a row that Georgia Southern University had hosted the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals, with 49 schools making for a memorable occasion. Next year the event heads to East Lansing, Michigan, and to the campus of Michigan State University.