Olympian Leek Takes Third SoCal Showdown Title at National Team Qualifier
OutdoorHub 08.26.12
Chula Vista, CA – Today was another beautiful day for archery at the SoCal Showdown, the fourth of five USAT Qualifier Series Events for 2012, with plenty of sun and only a little bit of wind. There was a small earthquake nearby that was felt by some competitors. The quake was not serious and the only thing truly earthshaking today was the intense competition. The elimination rounds were full of surprise upsets with many of the favorites going out in the early rounds.
Men’s Recurve
Jake Kaminski and Brady Ellison faced off in the bronze medal match that ended in a shoot-off. Ellison shot a solid 9 but Kaminski shot an X to clinch the bronze medal. Joe Fanchin met Jeff Anderson, who earlier defeated No.1 ranked Jacob Wukie, in the gold medal match. Fanchin took an early 4-0 lead and never looked back. He won in straight sets, stopping Anderson 6-0.
Women’s Recurve
Five time Olympian Khatuna Lorig shot against Heather Koehl for the bronze medal. Koehl shot well but she couldn’t topple Lorig who won the match 6-2. The gold medal bout between Miranda Leek and Mackenzie Brown was a back and forth battle until the end. After three ends the score was tied at 3-3. Brown took the fourth end giving her a 5-3 lead over Leek. This match wouldn’t end easy, as Leek took the fifth set forcing a shoot-off. In the shoot-off Brown shot a good 10 but Leek shot a perfect X to clinch the gold medal. This gold medal is Leek’s third in a row at the SoCal Showdown.
Men’s Compound
Connor Kelly met Reza Zamaninejad in the men’s compound bronze medal match. The two were neck and neck throughout the match but Zamaninejad pulled off the win 145-144. Reo Wilde has had a dominating archery season this year. He has competed in 15 national and international tournaments and he has won 12 of them. It is no surprise then that he ended up in the gold medal match and won in a dominating fashion, edging out Chris Oosterlinck 149-137.
Women’s Compound
In the women’s compound bronze medal match, Lexi Keller defeated Carli Cochran 142-132. The gold medal match between Jamie Van Natta and Erika Anschutz was close until the final end, and these two powerhouse archers and champions were neck and neck. Anschutz was able to secure a one-point victory over Van Natta, 143-142.
For complete results, visit http://ianseo.net/Details.php?toId=274. Photos from the event are available on USA Archery’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.
