CHULA VISTA, Calif. – Nothing is guaranteed in sport and that was most definitely the case on the final day of the 2025 Easton Foundations SoCal Showdown, with just one top seed making the televised gold medal matches.
Elsewhere, there was a first for the Rasor family as husband and wife Allen and Nicole both claimed gold at a USAT event for the first time. Allen took the honors in recurve 50+ men, with Nicole the top talent in recurve 50+ women.
Alexis Ruiz was the only number one seed to make it through to the gold medal match in the senior division and never trailed Sachiko Keane in compound women until the fifth and final end. Keane, making her first appearance in a gold medal match at this level, appeared not to show any nerves against the 2021 and 2023 champion, winning 142-141, landing a 10 with her final arrow to secure victory.
A one arrow shoot-off determined gold in recurve women, with fifth seed Alex Zuleta-Visser settling for silver, as she did at the Easton Foundations Gator Cup. Gold went to Ana Luiz Caetano, the 11th seed. Zuleta-Visser had beaten defending champion and top seed Casey Kaufhold in the semifinals, with Caetano knocking out second seed Olivia Martin.
Martin defeated Kaufhold to the bronze medal in a shoot-off. Since making the step up to the senior division in 2018 – a year after winning gold in recurve cadets women – Kaufhold had gone bronze, bronze, gold, silver, gold, gold, gold at SoCal Showdown.
Diane Cochran made a tremendous comeback from 4-0 down to beat her archery hero Sara Gebhardt 6-4 in barebow women. Gebhardt was the reason Cochran – the 2024 silver medalist - took up competitive archery and they were meeting in a gold medal match for the very first time.
“All I can think about was how wonderful it was to have this experience,” began Cochran. “But then I go down four and oh and I was just thinking, ‘make this last a little bit longer’ and the fact that I was able to find my shot, keep it consistent and get through to the end was absolutely amazing.
“This was truly a watershed moment for me. To come and shoot with one of my heroes, and to actually do this at a gold medal match.”
Wade McLanahan had an impressive day. The nine seed defeated Curtis Broadnax and number one seed James Lutz on his way to the compound men gold medal match but came up against Mathias Fullerton in the final, losing 148-143.
Marcus Cooley and Binh Tran met in the barebow men’s final, which was a repeat of the 2023 affair. Cooley, as he did two years ago, came out on top to go with the gold he won at the AAE Arizona Cup earlier this year.
For the first time in his career, Trenton Cowles made it back-to-back success in a USAT Qualifier Series event. Having triumphed at Gator Cup, the US international beat Joshua Baek 6-0 in recurve men. For Baek, who will represent the USA at the World Archery Youth Championships in Canada in August, this was a first appearance in a senior USAT competition.
Cowles said afterwards, “First time back-to-back (USAT gold) and first time winning two events in one year. I’m putting a lot of work in, we got Trials tomorrow (Monday), so it’s a really good confidence booster going into tomorrow and I’m really excited with the progress that we’re making.”
Cowles will be among the archers pushing for a place on the USA team for the World Archery Championships when trials conclude at the Easton Archery Center of Excellence on Monday. The team for the World Para Archery Championships will also be determined.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Alanna Dunaway retained her title in the compound 50+ women. The husband and wife duo of Johannes and Samantha Gildenhuys, meanwhile, were among the medals in barebow 50+. Johannes took silver, to Steve Oakley's gold, with Samantha taking bronze.
Click on the links below to see all of the results from this year’s SoCal Showdown, plus keep up-to-date with U.S. Team Trials as they unfold on Monday.
WORLD TRIALS COMPOUNDWORLD TRIALS RECURVEWORLD PARA TRIALS
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