Pennsylvania College of Technology archers have had their share of success since the season began in January. Now comes the big one the U.S. Collegiate Outdoor Championships.
Heading into the national meet, which will be staged Thursday through Sunday at James Madison University, Penn College is ranked fifth as a team, just two points out of third. A year ago, the squad finished third in the nation and, while coach Chad Karstetter is hopeful of a similar outcome this time, the fact that the school has no women's recurve team will keep it from climbing any higher than that in the final standings.
Competing for the Wildcats in the male compound division will be Ryan Romberger (Pillow), Ryan Benny (Burnham), Dustin Yocum (Morgantown), Steve Liehr (Oakford) and John Mattivi (Southern Columbia); in male recurve will be Rob Mcintosh (Lockport, N.Y.), T.J. Sico (Andover, Mass.) and Chris Adams (Pen Argyl); and in women's compound will be Beth Robinson (Williamsport), Karen Morse (Canton) and Michelle Wright (Kendell, N.Y.).
"Going into nationals, Romberger is ranked third in the country in the compound division. He's been practicing a lot and doing really well at the end of the year and I look for him to shoot very well," said Karstetter. Benny is ranked fifth, and the coach is hopeful of high finishes for both.
Karstetter thinks all three of his competitors in women's compound will fare well, too, saying that Top 10 finishes are very possible.
Over the years, 13 Penn College archers have achieved All-America status, among them Romberger last year. Karstetter, one of the school's early All-American archers while a student, looks to add more to that number this week.