Yankton, South Dakota is gearing up to be the center of the archery universe this fall. But before the world arrives for the World Archery Field Championships in September, the best archers in the United States had to prove they deserved a spot on the home team.
Last week, from June 4–6, the Gavin's Point Archery Range and Lewis and Clark Recreation Area played host to a grueling double-feature: the USA Archery Field and 3D Nationals, running concurrently with the highly anticipated U.S. Team Trials.
It was a weekend of extreme precision, shifting weather, and incredible storylines as a 36-archer squad was finalized for the upcoming World Championships.
The Ultimate Test: Marked and Unmarked
Field archery is known as one of the most challenging disciplines in the sport, requiring athletes to shoot up and down hills, across slopes, and through woods. To make the U.S. Team, archers had to survive two grueling days of competition. Thursday tested their instincts with 24 unmarked targets (where archers must guess the distance), followed by 24 marked targets on Friday.
The combined scores dictated who would wear the red, white, and blue this September.
Meet the Senior World Championship Squad
The finalized senior team is an exciting blend of seasoned veterans, reigning champions, and fresh faces making their World Field debut.
Recurve: Olympic Pedigree and Incredible Backstories
The recurve team features some of the biggest names in the sport. 2024 Champion Brady Ellison secured his spot alongside Matthew Nofel and Ashton Probus on the men's side.
For the women, Olympic bronze medalist Casey Kaufhold leads the charge alongside Alexandria Zuleta-Visser. However, the standout storyline belongs to 60-year-old Nicole Rasor. Incredibly, Rasor represented Austria in diving at the 1984 Olympics. Now, four decades later, she is making her World Field debut for Team USA.
Compound: Chasing History
Paige Pearce is on a mission. The compound superstar secured her spot and will be aiming for a historic four-peat at the World Championships. She is joined by Savannah Nofel and Cassidy Cox.
The men’s compound team is equally stacked, featuring James Lutz, Gaius Carter, and Dan Jasa, who will be heading to his fourth World Field Championship.
Barebow: A Roster of Debuts
The barebow division is bringing exciting new energy to the world stage. The women's team—Ava Jones, Erin Hollom, and Allison Li—are all making their World Field Championships debut. On the men's side, the squad features Robby Weissinger, Ryan Davis, and Christopher Garcia.
Double Champions Rule the Weekend
While the Trials captured the international spotlight, the weekend also served as the USA Archery Field and 3D Nationals. Following the intense Field competition on Thursday and Friday, archers transitioned to the 3D Nationals on Saturday.
Shooting back-to-back disciplines is an endurance test, but five remarkable archers managed to sweep the weekend, taking home national titles in both Field and 3D:
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Ava Jones (Barebow Women)
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Marcel Laurens (Barebow 50+ Men)
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Cody Hasson (Traditional Men)
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Joella Bates (Longbow Women)
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Michael Davenport (Longbow Men)
There were also some incredible crossover performances from the younger divisions. Chloe Crandall captured Field gold in Barebow U21 and immediately turned around to win bronze in the Senior 3D division. Similarly, Grady Kane secured Field gold in Compound U21 and took silver in the Senior Compound 3D event.
Looking Ahead to September
With the U.S. Team officially locked in, all eyes now turn back to Yankton. From September 22–27, 2026, the best archers on the planet will descend upon South Dakota for the World Archery Field Championships.
If last week's Trials were any indication, Team USA is locked, loaded, and ready to defend their home turf.
