Lycoming News

Competing at the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals in Statesboro, Georgia, the Penn College archery team concluded its season by securing 22nd place out of 49 teams. The event took place from Friday through Sunday and saw three of the college's teams reach the quarterfinals, with two individuals narrowly missing All-American status.

In the men's compound team category, Matthew Byrnes, Emery Gunsallus, and Alex Edwards qualified seventh among nine teams with a score of 2,002 but were defeated by the University of the Cumberlands in the quarterfinals with a score of 234-222. In men's fixed pins, Brady Fowkes, Jansen Balmer, and Grant Walters qualified last in an 11-team field with a score of 1,466 before being eliminated by Michigan State in the quarterfinals 187-164.

The mixed fixed pins team consisting of Fowkes and Alexis Burrell qualified eighth out of 18 teams with a score of 1,249. They received a bye in the initial round and defeated James Madison University in their next match before losing to the University of the Cumberlands in the quarterfinals.

Individually, Byrnes performed well in men's compound qualifying seventh among 52 competitors with a score of 693. Gunsallus placed 38th with a score of 660 while Edwards was ranked 40th scoring 649. In elimination rounds for this category, Byrnes advanced past his first match on a bye but lost narrowly in subsequent rounds while Gunsallus managed one win before exiting on criteria after tying his opponent.

Fowkes also competed individually in men's fixed pins where he qualified at position eighteen out of fifty-seven participants scoring six hundred sixty points; he progressed through one elimination round before being ousted himself later on.

Alexis Burrell represented as Penn College’s sole female competitor within women’s fixed pins finishing twenty-seventh among forty-nine entrants ultimately falling short during her elimination matchup.

Both Fowkes and Byrnes came close to achieving All-American recognition missing it only marginally yet they were acknowledged elsewhere: “Fowkes...was named to All-American Academic Men's Fixed Pins Team.” Additionally within All-American Archer accolades Byrnes earned seventh place standing followed by Edwards ranking twenty-eighth whereas inside men’s fixed pin standings - ninth belonged to Fowke alongside thirty-sixth taken up by Balmer respectively.