Matt Stutzman Is World Para Champion

Three-time Paralympian Matt Stutzman (above) of Team Hoyt, is best known as the “Armless Archer.” He has finally captured the World Para Champion title, defeating the Russian Archery Federation’s Aleksandr Gombozhapov in Dubai with a final score of 142-137.

This match was the first final in history where two archers without arms competed against each other. This was after Stutzman fulfilled a dream of competing against another armless archer, Belgium’s Piotr Van Montagu, for the first time in preliminary matches earlier this week.

In a classy display of sportsmanship, Stutzman’s immediate reaction after being announced the winner was to congratulate Gombozhapov, for whom he has been an inspiration, and gifted him a hat he signed on the spot.

Stutzman worked his way up the ranks, ending his first day in Dubai ranked 54th after experiencing equipment failure with his release in the middle of qualification. On the finals field, with the pressure high for the 2019 bronze medalist, Stutzman opened with a three-point lead 28-25 and quickly expanded the gap between himself and Gombozhapov. Stutzman never opened the door for his opponent and sealed the win with a perfect 30 in the final end.

Stutzman said, “Before I went into the match, I already felt like a winner because of the history that I was going to be a part of. I am happy that I was able come out on top. That being said, I hope the world was amazed!”

Check out the video at the bottom of this page that shows Stutzman win the gold. Full results are available on the World Archery website.

 

Lia Coryell Wins Team USA’s First Women W1 World Para Championship

Team Hoyt’s Lia Coryell is the USA’s first and only women W1 archer. (Click here for details on para archery classifications.) After finishing fourth at Tokyo 2020 this past summer, her biggest international accomplishment to date, Coryell again showed the world she’s not done, and she recently took center stage at the 2022 World Archery Para Championships to shoot for gold. In her fourth world para championships appearance, she finally claimed the long-awaited title.

Coryell qualified 6th earlier this week in a stacked field of talent. After winning her quarterfinal and semifinal matches, Coryell met Turkey’s 5th seed Nil Misir in the gold medal match.

Coryell and Misir went back and forth in a tight final. Coryell took an early lead 28-26, Misir fought back for a 52-51 lead, then with a perfect X to close the third set, Coryell jumped back up 77-76. Then, Coryell capitalized on some errant shots from her opponent, bringing the score to 102-98 and then closing out with two solid 10s in her final two arrows to seal the win 130-124.

Coryell, so focused on her shooting, didn’t realize she’d won; she was convinced she had another end to shoot as those around her began celebrating her win.

“It was epic,” Coryell said. “I thought I had more arrows to shoot and was arguing that we shouldn’t celebrate yet. This is for all the kids that got picked last in kickball or made fun of in the lunch line. I didn’t even become an athlete until age 50, and now I’m a world champion! It’s never too late to rebel with intention.”

Overcome with emotion, Coryell beamed on the top of the podium as the national anthem played. Coryell is a United States Army Veteran who got a late start to her archery career in 2015 at the age of 50. Coryell has progressive Multiple Sclerosis, but she has never allowed that to define her. She champions the phrase: “You are not your diagnosis.”

Coryell is 57 and plans to retire at the end of this season.

Because these World Championships were postponed from 2021, there is now only one year until the next edition in 2023, with the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games closer in sight.

 

Mission Crossbows Starts 2022 ASA Pro/Am Season Strong

Mission Crossbows shooters kicked off the 2022 Archery Shooters Association (ASA) Pro/Am season with a strong showing in Foley, Alabama, sweeping the Crossbow class.

Jason Wilkins took home first-place, while teammates Daniel Zintgraff and Dylan Burg finished second and third, respectively. All three were shooting the Mission Sub-1 crossbow.

ASA tournaments test each shooter’s skills on 3-D targets. The Foley shoot was the first event of seven for the 2022 season.

 

Team Mathews Wins Big at First ASA Pro/Am

For the last seven years, the Archery Shooters Association (ASA) has opened its season in Foley, Alabama. Many of the nation’s top competitors have traveled to this event to take part in the Pro/Am. Team Mathews topped the podiums with two first place finishes and a second place finish at the recent ASA in Foley.

Dan McCarthy picked up where he left off in 2021, taking top honors in Men’s Open Pro. This makes six consecutive first place finishes at ASA shoots for McCarthy, including 2021 Shooter of the Year.

McCarthy wasn’t the only Mathews shooter to keep momentum going into the 2022 ASA season. Cara Kelly, who was named Shooter of the Year in Women’s Pro for 2021, took home a first place finish as well.

ASA Pro Division competitors shoot two rounds of twenty targets. These targets vary in distance up to 50 yards, and the five highest scores from the first two rounds qualify for the shoot down to decide the winner.