Penn College Archers to Host Outdoor Eastern Regional Event This Weekend

Pennsylvania College of Technology archers are enjoying one of their best seasons ever, and, this, weekend they'll have an opportunity to strut their stuff before a home crowd.

The Wildcats host the Eastern Regional Intercollegiate Championships on main campus Saturday and Sunday (next to the Field House along College Avenue).

"We definitely are looking forward to shooting at the college. A lot of the parents are coming in," coach Chad Karstetter said.

"We have a really good team this year. Everything is looking good. I hope that we have a good weekend and put on a good show," continued the coach, who is in his ninth season.

Shooting for Penn College will be Dan Wido (Shickshinny), Zach Plannick (Coraopolis), Aaron Lapinski (Bloomsburg), Brock Smith (Brookville), Brad Ferguson (Lewistown) and Jered Boers (Pine Grove) in men's compound; Lindsey Fackler (Halifax), Cheryl Brooks (Reynoldsville) and Julie Cain (Bellefonte) in women's compound; and Martin Smith (Brookville, Brock's brother), James Fanelli (Glastonburg, Conn.), Tyler Gale (Kennedyville, Md.) and Glen Thomas (Mercer) in men's recurve. The Wildcats have no women's recurve shooters.

While each archer will shoot in individual competition, only three participate in team events and, according to Karstetter, "which three I pick will come down to who is shooting the best scores during the qualifying rounds."

Also entered are archers from Atlantic Cape (N.J.) Community College, James Madison University of Harrisonburg, Va., University of Connecticut, Alfred (N.Y.) University, Community College of Baltimore County and Brandeis University.

Following practice at noon Saturday, ranking rounds in four classes men's and women's compound and men's and women's recurve will follow between 1 and 4 p.m. During the ranking round, each archer will shoot 72 arrows from 70 meters (231 feet). Based on how they shoot Saturday, the nearly 60 archers from seven colleges will advance into individual head-to-head elimination rounds beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday. That will be followed by team rounds, with the competition expected to finish between 1 and 2 p.m.

Karstetter said Saturday's ranking score, along with scores from the indoor regional March 14-15 and the Adam Wheatcroft Memorial on April 4-5, will determine an All-East team.

Outdoors, weather can be a deciding factor and Karstetter is hopeful of a good weekend weatherwise.

"I really hope things shape up because it seems like, in four of the five years that we've hosted this tournament, it's either raining or windy and kind of miserable," he said. "It would be nice to have a nice sunny weekend where the wind isn't blowing too hard."

"We haven't had a lot of time (shooting) outdoors, but I feel very confident that we will put on a good show," Karstetter added.

(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site For more information on the PSUAC, visit on the Web; more about the USCAA also is available online. )