ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Once again set on the site of the world-renowned Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the WIAWIS USA Archery JOAD Target Nationals & JOAD U.S. Open will reach new heights with record numbers set to contest the 2025 edition.
When registration closed, 877 athletes had indicated they would be competing over the next few days.
Open practice and official practice have come and gone, as has the Kickoff Event, and the archers are now ready for the start of competition, which gets underway on Thursday morning at Balloon Fiesta Park.
Thursday and Friday competition involves 72 arrow rounds each day to determine JOAD National Champions. Saturday will be the JOAD U.S. Open. There is a team competition to complete the event on Sunday morning.
Jack Krengel will be among the favorites for the recurve U21 men, having taken silver in 2024. Chanyoung Mun took gold at U18 level last time out but has stepped up to U21 and will be another one to watch. It is a similar story in recurve U21 women. Abigail Kippes was silver medalist 12 months ago and returns to Albuquerque. Competition may come from rivals such as Samantha Ensign, a member of the U.S. team traveling to Winnipeg for the World Archery Youth Championships in August.
Ye-eun Whang won gold in recurve U18 women in 2024. The archer – who will also be part of the U.S. team for next month’s World Youth Championships in Canada – is back to defend her JOAD Target Nationals title.
There will be a new winner in recurve U15 men, as Jack Chen has moved up an age category. Same with recurve U15 women, as Yeshaswini Tati is now also shooting U18.
The youngest recurve archer – and youngest female – is nine-year-old Elena Taifane, who will compete in the U13 division. The youngest overall at the event is fixed pins archer Omar El-Abid, who will celebrate his ninth birthday on August 6.
There is a larger field for fixed pins U21 men but the three medalists from last year are back for more – Luke Shaeffer, Cammie Kitchens and Cody Fightmaster. Ditto for fixed pins U21 women. There is quality and quantity, led by those on the podium in 2024, Jayden Azbill, Piper Colantone and Madalynn Puryear.
David Fightmaster is aiming to defend his fixed pins U18 men’s crown, while the only medalist returning in fixed pins U18 women is Audrey Overton, who won bronze a year ago.
The field has also grown for fixed pins U15 men. Roman Kravchuk – silver medalist in 2024 – will be hoping to go one better. The U15 women will have new faces on the podium and more than twice the archers from the previous edition.
Elizaveta Kravchuk was also silver medalist last time around, in fixed pins U13 women. Maliha Butt took bronze on that occasion. Both will be seeking an improvement.
World Archery Youth Championship team medalist Landyn Cox can expect competition from the likes of Sergio Garcia, Jacob McArthur and Parker Braddock in compound U21 men. Lanie Nish and Zoie Thompson bagged silver and bronze respectively in compound U21 women last year. They should be in the running, as should Lilie Aguilar, who took fourth in ’24.
Caleb Quiocho just missed out on a medal from the 2024 JOAD Target Nationals but will be one to watch in compound U18 men. As will Brody Wonch and Suraj Nalam. Those three form the compound U18 men’s trio to make the U.S. team for the World Youth.
There will be stiff competition in compound U18 women. Among the contenders, expect Savannah O’Donohue, Julia Cook and Khloe Markle to be in the frame – all are also heading to Canada for the World Youth Championships.
Nolen Baker won silver in compound U15 men on his visit to Albuquerque previously. Competition may come from Mason Loofboro, James Knight and Noah Ross, who have all stepped up having shared the podium in the compound U13 men last time around.
A silver medalist at the 2024 JOAD Target Nationals, Kali Miller will feel there is unfinished business in the compound U15 women.
As all three medalists from last year’s compound U13 men are in the older category, that could open the door for Edward Lutkehus, who finished fourth 12 months ago. Harper Duffner will have gained great experience when taking silver in compound U13 women and will have her eye on gold when competition gets underway.
Barebow U21 men will be hotly contested, with Bryce Henak, Jacob Olmstead, Elijah Hillensbeck all expected to challenge last year’s medalists, Ethan Mitchell, Jacob Saltzberg and Troy Santiago.
Local archer Francesca Benavidez, the defending U21 champion, has been competing in recurve this year but has reverted to barebow for this event. Sarah Kate Jentsch – who took silver behind Benavidez – also returns.
Thor Pahl already has a barebow U18 men’s bronze medal to his name. He will be one to watch Thursday and Friday. Austin Zenuch defends his barebow U15 men’s title. Bronze medalist Derek Tang is also back for more.
Karthik Banigandlapati is a year older but with the experience of finishing fifth at U13 level. He remains in that age category in barebow men, as do Karthic Arun, Hank Schollmeyer and Eeshwar Kollu.
There is no Ava Jones or Ellie Howe – gold and silver medalists in 2024 in barebow U18 women – but the talented Medina Otajagic, bronze medal winner a year ago, is in the field again.
The gold and bronze medal winners last time out in barebow U15 women – Chloe Crandall and Carly Schollmeyer – will seek a repeat of their success. In barebow U13 women, Audrey Kim will be eager to upgrade her bronze from a year ago. Ava Li and Harper Blaylock, fourth and fifth previously, are also back for better.
You can follow the latest scores and catch photos from each session.
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