Ellison and Koehl Win U.S. Open Titles!

Hamilton, OH – Brady Ellison and Heather Koehl won Gold Medals at the 2009 U.S. Open over a field of extremely qualified competitors. Fellow Resident Athletes Jake Kaminski and Kristin Braun made it to the medals matches as well and finished 4th in their respective divisions.

Brady Ellison shot impressive scores throughout the day as he won his 3rd consecutive U.S. Open Title. Ellison said, “I feel like I got lucky this year, although I shot my best average ever. I need to shoot more and train harder. My last 2 matches were my lower matches, and next year I need to shoot 114 or higher all the way through.” Ellison will compete at the World Championships in Ulsan, South Korea next month. According to Ellison, “I think this gave me a lot of confidence. In the Olympic Round, I was able to step up and shoot the way I need to be successful at the World Championships. It gives me a lot of confidence and I’m excited for the

Heather Koehl had her best competition of the year winning the U.S. Open in the Women’s Division over 2 time Olympian Jennifer Nichols. In the semi-final match, Heather defeated team mate Kristin Braun 111-105. Heather then went on to defeat Nichols 109-106. When asked about her performance for the day, Heather explains, “It was fun! It felt like I was able to apply my training to the competition. When I got to the Gold Medal match I was just focused on shooting one arrow at a time. I wasn’t listening to what everyone else was saying or what Jenny was shooting. It feels so good to finally get something out of my hard work.”

Kristin Braun finished 4th overall and was defeated by Khatuna Lorig in the Bronze Medal Match by 1 point! Kristin will be competing with Brady Ellison at the upcoming World Championships. Kristin was excited about the competition and says, “The competition has highlighted the things I need to work on, and I have a plan of action from now till the time I leave. This performance has definitely left me hungry for more!”

Overall, the Resident Athlete Program Coaching Staff was extremely impressed with the performance of the athletes in the U.S. Open. Assistant Coach, Guy Krueger explained, “This year was all about developing a strong foundation in our archers for the next Olympics. I think it’s safe to say that they exceeded expectations. We really weren’t focused on the outcome of events, just preparing them technically and mentally to become champions in the next few years.”

Most of the Resident Athletes will now enjoy some time with their families before beginning training September 1st for training for the next year. Coach Lee says the next 3 months will focus on increasing physical strength and improving mental toughness!

We would like to thank our sponsors, including Easton Foundation and TaxMasters for lending financial support helping to cover travel and registration costs, Nike for the apparel, and Easton, Hoyt, Doinker, Beiter, Range-O-Matic Spinwings, BCY, and Limbsaver for their support in providing the Resident Athlete Program with equipment.

Kristin Braun: Making the World Team at 18

About making the team at such a young age…..

When asked to write about making the US World Team at such a young age, I was at first puzzled. Was I really that young? Does my age make such a difference?

Going into the tournament, I felt like I had lost my rhythm, I couldn’t find the natural feeling of good shots. I was forced to will each arrow where I wanted it to go, sometimes more successfully than others. It was exhausting but my efforts were successful; I made the 2009 US World Team. I have a desire and responsibility to perform my best and each success I have motivates me to work harder, work smarter, be better than I am. I train with enthusiastic anticipation for the challenges to come and with each passing day strive to be a better athlete, competitor, and person…regardless of my age.

- Kristin Madeleine Braun

www.kmbraun.com

Ellison and Braun Make 2009 U.S. World Team

Conyers, Georgia – Brady Ellison had his best competition of the year and makes the 2009 U.S. World Team in style by setting 2 new U.S. National Records! Kristin Braun also made the 2009 U.S. World Team by finishing 3rd in the women’s division. The two will compete on the U.S. Team at the 2009 World Championships that will take place in Ulsan, South Korea in September later this year.

On the Qualification Round, Brady Ellison started the day off by smashing the previous 90m National Record with a score of 331, just 7 points off the World Record! He went on to demolish his previous record of 1357 by 7 points with a total of 1364. His new record is now the highest score shot in the world by a non-Korean archer!Jake Kaminski also shot extremely well. In the qualification round he shot a very solid 1320 which bested his previous personal record by 30 points! He also shot a personal best of 114 in his final match on Sunday which moved him into alternate position. Jake just missed making the team by a fraction of a point.

Kristin Braun also gained a position on the 2009 U.S. World Team by finishing 3rd in the women’s division. Braun had a solid competition and was followed closely by team mate Heather Koehl. Koehl finished 4th overall and is the alternate for the team as well.

Several other Resident Athletes did well in the competition. Megan Carter finished 8th followed by Emily Blake who finished 10th and shot a personal best of 1187. Barbie Cyin shot a season high score as well.

In the men’s division, the two 16 year olds, Josh Smith and Peter Kelchner, just missed making the final cut by posting personal best Fita scores of 1260 and 1256, respectively.

Most members of the Resident Athlete Team will now enjoy a little rest and recovery with their families for the next few days. Brady Ellison left immediately following the competition to attend the third leg of the World Cup which is held in Antalya, Turkey.

We would like to thank our sponsors, including Easton Foundation and TaxMasters for lending financial support helping to cover travel and registration costs, Nike for the apparel, and Easton, Hoyt, Doinker, Beiter, Range-O-Matic Spinwings, BCY, and Limbsaver for their support in providing the Resident Athlete Program with equipment.