Pennsylvania College of Technology archers used three first-place finishes to end third overall at the U.S. Outdoor Collegiate National Championships in Harrisonburg, Virginia, over the weekend. In addition, the Wildcats had eight All-Americans.
“We shot strong all weekend, and I am very proud of how we finished,” said coach Chad Karstetter, who is in his 13th season. “The team rounds were exciting and nerve-wracking to watch. With such strong teams from other colleges and universities most finishes came down to the last end of arrows or the closest to the center arrow.”
The fact that the Wildcats finished so high nationally even was more impressive, considering that its recurve teams could not compete due to scheduling conflicts.
Individually for Penn College, freshman Tyler Schoonover, of Bradford, won the men’s bowhunter championship and two Penn College teams also won national titles – the mixed bowhunter team of Schoonover and senior Kendel Baier, of Jersey Shore, and the female bowhunter team of Baier, sophomore Courtney DeShong, of McConnellsburg, and junior Holly Neely, of Lebanon.
Baier ended second in women’s bowhunter and DeShong was fifth in bowhunter.
“Sunday was the head-to head-rounds for the national titles,” Karstetter said. “Tyler shot strong all day, he was in a zone and finished as a national champion. Kendel and Courtney also had shot very tough and finished in the top. This round is fun to watch. The event started out with 254 archers shooting head-to-head until only a few national champions remain. You need to be on your game all day. You only have between nine and 15 (three arrows each end) arrows to win each match. One gust of wind or an equipment failure and you join the cheering crowd.”
In other team competition, Schoonover, sophomore Cody McCracken, of Loyalsock Township, and sophomore Andrew Rupp, of Dayton, placed second in male bowhunter as did senior Matt Cummings, of Mountville, senior Justus Leimbach, of Westminster, Maryland, and sophomore Cody Wolfe, of Tioga, in male compound. Senior Nicole Lapinski, of Bloomsburg; sophomore Abigail Hricko, of Nicholson; and sophomore Chelsea Douglass, of East Greenville, finished third in female compound.
“Along with all our awards, we had archers who shot their personal best and placed higher than their personal goals and that is an achievement in its own,” Karstetter said.
“A lot of Penn College archers shot well in the 144-arrow qualifying round and, added to their indoor score, earned All-American spots. I was counting on having a few, but when they started announcing names, I was very excited to see so many Penn College archers up on stage,” the coach added.
They were: junior Greggory Foust, of Murrysville, in male recurve; Schoonover in male bowhunter; Baier, DeShong and Neely in female bowhunter; Lapinski in female compound; and Cummings and Leimbach in male compound. It marked the fourth time that Lapinski earned All-American status, the third time for both Baier and Cummings and the second for Leimbach. The only year when Penn College had more All-Americans was 2010 when it had nine. Over the years, 37 Wildcat archers have been All-Americans 78 times.
Commenting on the team’s five seniors, including Brandon Lonaberger, of Shillington, who competed in male recurve, Karstetter said, “We graduate quite a bit of the team and most have been on the team for up to four years. It’s definitely going to be difficult to find new freshman archers with their experience and to fill their shoes.”
Texas A&M won the team national championship and tournament host James Madison University was second. Among the teams finishing behind Penn College were UCLA, fourth, and Connecticut, fifth.
This year marked the ninth time that Penn College has finished among the elite in the country as it was second in 2010-11-12, third in 2009 and 2013, and fourth in 2004, 2008 and 2014.
Results of Penn College archers:
All-Americans
Male Recurve
Greggory Foust
Female Bowhunter
Kendel Baier
Courtney DeShong
Holly Neely
Male Bowhunter
Tyler Schoonover
Female Compound
Nicole Lapinski
Male Compound
Matthew Cummings
Justus Leimbach
Team Finishes
Female Bowhunter, first place (Baier, DeShong, Neely)
Male Bowhunter, second place (Schoonover, McCracken, Rupp)
Female Compound, third place (Lapinski, Hricko, Douglass)
Male Compound, second place (Cummings, Leimbach, Wolfe)
Mixed Bowhunter, first place (Schoonover, Baier)
National Place Finishers
Tyler Schoonover, first (male bowhunter)
Kendel Baier, second (female bowhunter)
Courtney DeShong, fifth (female bowhunter)
“We shot strong all weekend, and I am very proud of how we finished,” said coach Chad Karstetter, who is in his 13th season. “The team rounds were exciting and nerve-wracking to watch. With such strong teams from other colleges and universities most finishes came down to the last end of arrows or the closest to the center arrow.”
The fact that the Wildcats finished so high nationally even was more impressive, considering that its recurve teams could not compete due to scheduling conflicts.
Individually for Penn College, freshman Tyler Schoonover, of Bradford, won the men’s bowhunter championship and two Penn College teams also won national titles – the mixed bowhunter team of Schoonover and senior Kendel Baier, of Jersey Shore, and the female bowhunter team of Baier, sophomore Courtney DeShong, of McConnellsburg, and junior Holly Neely, of Lebanon.
Baier ended second in women’s bowhunter and DeShong was fifth in bowhunter.
“Sunday was the head-to head-rounds for the national titles,” Karstetter said. “Tyler shot strong all day, he was in a zone and finished as a national champion. Kendel and Courtney also had shot very tough and finished in the top. This round is fun to watch. The event started out with 254 archers shooting head-to-head until only a few national champions remain. You need to be on your game all day. You only have between nine and 15 (three arrows each end) arrows to win each match. One gust of wind or an equipment failure and you join the cheering crowd.”
In other team competition, Schoonover, sophomore Cody McCracken, of Loyalsock Township, and sophomore Andrew Rupp, of Dayton, placed second in male bowhunter as did senior Matt Cummings, of Mountville, senior Justus Leimbach, of Westminster, Maryland, and sophomore Cody Wolfe, of Tioga, in male compound. Senior Nicole Lapinski, of Bloomsburg; sophomore Abigail Hricko, of Nicholson; and sophomore Chelsea Douglass, of East Greenville, finished third in female compound.
“Along with all our awards, we had archers who shot their personal best and placed higher than their personal goals and that is an achievement in its own,” Karstetter said.
“A lot of Penn College archers shot well in the 144-arrow qualifying round and, added to their indoor score, earned All-American spots. I was counting on having a few, but when they started announcing names, I was very excited to see so many Penn College archers up on stage,” the coach added.
They were: junior Greggory Foust, of Murrysville, in male recurve; Schoonover in male bowhunter; Baier, DeShong and Neely in female bowhunter; Lapinski in female compound; and Cummings and Leimbach in male compound. It marked the fourth time that Lapinski earned All-American status, the third time for both Baier and Cummings and the second for Leimbach. The only year when Penn College had more All-Americans was 2010 when it had nine. Over the years, 37 Wildcat archers have been All-Americans 78 times.
Commenting on the team’s five seniors, including Brandon Lonaberger, of Shillington, who competed in male recurve, Karstetter said, “We graduate quite a bit of the team and most have been on the team for up to four years. It’s definitely going to be difficult to find new freshman archers with their experience and to fill their shoes.”
Texas A&M won the team national championship and tournament host James Madison University was second. Among the teams finishing behind Penn College were UCLA, fourth, and Connecticut, fifth.
This year marked the ninth time that Penn College has finished among the elite in the country as it was second in 2010-11-12, third in 2009 and 2013, and fourth in 2004, 2008 and 2014.
Results of Penn College archers:
All-Americans
Male Recurve
Greggory Foust
Female Bowhunter
Kendel Baier
Courtney DeShong
Holly Neely
Male Bowhunter
Tyler Schoonover
Female Compound
Nicole Lapinski
Male Compound
Matthew Cummings
Justus Leimbach
Team Finishes
Female Bowhunter, first place (Baier, DeShong, Neely)
Male Bowhunter, second place (Schoonover, McCracken, Rupp)
Female Compound, third place (Lapinski, Hricko, Douglass)
Male Compound, second place (Cummings, Leimbach, Wolfe)
Mixed Bowhunter, first place (Schoonover, Baier)
National Place Finishers
Tyler Schoonover, first (male bowhunter)
Kendel Baier, second (female bowhunter)
Courtney DeShong, fifth (female bowhunter)