DUBLIN, Ohio – Thunderstorms delayed but failed to deny a dramatic final day of the 2025 Rebel Gear Buckeye Classic, which included back-to-back USAT Qualifier Series gold medals for Sachiko Keane and Diane Cochran, plus a first USAT gold of 2025 for Casey Kaufhold.
Elsewhere, Brady Ellison finished the 2025 USAT Series as he began, with gold in recurve men. He also claimed gold at the AAE Arizona Cup – the opening USAT Qualifier Series event – back in April.
Others to win a second USAT gold medal were Janis Grellner (recurve 50+ women), George Ryals IV (compound 50+ men) and Sharon Totton (compound 50+ women).
Kaufhold left it until the fourth and final USAT Qualifier Series event of 2025 to claim her first USAT gold of the year and just her second USAT podium; she claimed bronze at the Easton Foundations Gator Cup.
Gold was secured by Kaufhold via a one arrow shootoff with close friend and USA teammate Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez, in what turned out to be a first gold medal meeting between the two recurve women.
“It’s kind of crazy to think this was the first time,” Kaufhold began. “Especially when you think of how many times we’ve shared the podium. I knew it was going to be fun. There were a lot of good sets, and I had to fight for a lot of them.”
Ellison’s gold was a little more straightforward in recurve men. In a repeat of the 2025 U.S. Open, Ellison defeated Nicholas D’Amour 6-0. As was the case for many archers on this final day, the conditions did not make it easy.
“We had a hard left to right wind all day,” explained Ellison. “Then we had a two-hour rain delay, and then we came back and it was perfectly calm in the semifinals – all of us shot left, then we come over here (to the finals field) and the wind begins ripping from the left again, and you could see both Nick and I’s arrows, we were either sighted it wrong over here or the wind was not doing what we thought it was doing because we missed everything left, but I was able to figure it out quick and get a couple of lucky guesses on some of those to win.”
Sachiko Keane has enjoyed a tremendous finish to the USAT Qualifier Series. With her 147-145 win over Tanja Gellenthien in compound women, she ended with successive gold medals, having won at SoCal Showdown last month. Another to go back-to-back was Diane Cochran. She enjoyed a convincing 7-1 win in barebow women over Cindy Czako.
Stephan Hansen did not drop a single point in both his semifinal and final on his way to gold in compound men. Silver medal went to James Lutz who shot a maximum himself in his semifinal win over Sawyer Sullivan but could not repeat the feat as Hansen won 150-146.
Adam Britton had quite the day in barebow men. He finished 102 points behind Zackary Bisinger after qualifications. Britton was seeded 17 and Bisinger was number one but anything can happen in elimination matches and so it was the case as Britton not only defeated Bisinger 6-4 in the 1/8th round but he then fought back from 4-0 down in the gold medal match, before succumbing to a 6-4 defeat by Michael Weaver.
Michelle O’Donnell found herself on top of the podium in barebow 50+ women. It was her second medal of the USAT Qualifier Series. She won bronze at Gator Cup. Barbara Carroll collected silver, to go with the gold medals won at Arizona Cup and SoCal Showdown. Elsewhere, Bill Whitman captured his first medal of the 2025 USATs, and it was gold, in barebow 50+ men.
Ron Gosnell upgraded the bronze won at SoCal Showdown to a gold in recurve 50+ men. Sharon Totton’s gold in compound 50+ women means she finishes the year with two USAT golds, one silver and a bronze. George Ryals IV ended with two golds and a bronze.
You can check all the results from the event, as well as see photos from each session.
The next big event on the USA Archery calendar is the 141st USA Archery Target Nationals & 2025 U.S. Open, which runs from August 14-17 in Springfield, Mo. Click here to register today.
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