Results

Lansing, MI – The Patriots archery team braved cold and windy conditions throughout the day to put themselves in a strong position highlighted by 15 podium finishes on the second day of competition at the 2025 USA Collegiate Outdoor National Championships.

UC opened the morning with 16 archers advancing to the quarterfinals of their respective divisions with six of them advancing to the gold medal match.  The Patriots followed that up garnering seven podium finishes, including a trio of national titles. 

For the first time in program history, Cumberlands is going to sweep the podium in the men's fixed pins division as Joseph West and Jaden Taylor will square off in the gold medal match, while Jackson Rataczak earned bronze.  West notched a 5-0 record on the day winning three of his first four matches by at least ten points.  The sophomore edged out Rataczak by one point 126-125 in the semifinals.  Taylor also tallied a 5-0 record defeating teammate Matthew England in the quarters before edging out Wyatt Burtts 128-127 in the semifinal match.  The duo will face off for gold tomorrow.

Rataczak, who entered the day as the second seed, posted a 5-1 record to capture bronze.  After winning his first three matches, the freshman knocked off Wesley Ellsworth (Muskingum) 133-127 in the quarterfinals.  After falling to the bronze medal match, Rataczak carded at least a 27 in each end to defeat Burtts 139-133.

The Patriots also have three of the top four finishers in the women's fixed pins division.  Anna Jo Rush, who entered as the 23^rd-seed ran the table compiling a 5-0 record to reach the gold medal match and securing her first individual podium finish.  Rush won her first three matches by at least six points before taking out Carrie Booth (Midway) 131-126 in the quarterfinals.  In the semifinals, Rush defeated teammate Ayla Mills 122-119 to reach the finals.

Hannah Summers compiled a 4-1 record to earn bronze for the Patriots.  Summers won her first three matches to reach the semifinals.  After falling to the bronze medal match, Summers edged out Mills 130-129 for third place.  Mills won her first three matches, including a 129-123 win over sixth-seed Madison Hurst (Rio Grande) before placing fourth and earning five points.

For the first time since 2016, the Patriots will have a women's recurve archer competing in the gold medal match at outdoor nationals.  Briana Laux, who entered as the seventh-seed, rattled off five straight wins.  After winning her first two matches, Laux knocked out second-seed Judith Gottlieb (Columbia) in a one-arrow shoot-off to advance to the semifinals.  She followed that up with a 6-2 win over third-seed Riley Marx of Texas A&M to reach the finals.

Securing her third career individual podium finish in the women's barebow division is Kennedy Sumpter, who went 5-0 on the day to reach the gold medal match for the first time.  Sumpter outscored her first three opponents 18-4 to reach the quarterfinals.  There she defeated teammate Lauren Oosterbaan, who knocked off top-seed Kelly Hawvermale (Muskingum) in the 1/8^th round, 6-4.  Sumpter closed out the morning with a 6-2 win over fourth-seed Morrighain Nyer of Rio Grande to reach the finals.

Cumberlands also have an archer in the finals of both the compound men's and women's division.  Veteran Jared Laux and freshman Lanie Nish both reach the gold medal match to secure their first national individual podium finish.  After winning his first four matches by double digits, Laux utilized a perfect 30 in the first end and tied three other ends to defeat Elias Reyes (William Carey) and advance to the gold medal match.

Nish went 5-0 on the day winning her first four matches by a combined 41 points to reach the semifinals.  There the freshman jumped in front during the first end and never looked back earning the 131-128 win over Kylee Brookover (Muskingum) to reach the gold medal match.

During team rounds the Patriots captured gold in the men's barebow, men's fixed pins, and women's compound division. 

After finishing as the national runner-up for the past three years, the Patriots men's barebow team captured gold for the first time at outdoor nationals in program history.  The trio of Nicolas Mudd, Tyler Woosley, and Jonathan Morris opened with a 6-0 win.  In the semifinals, UC won a shoot-off over Lindsey Wilson to advance to the championship match against top-seed Texas A&M.  The Patriots won the first & third ends to force a shoot-off, which UC won to secure the gold.

After entering as the top-seed, UC's team of Colton Caudill, Ratajczak, and West notched a 3-0 record to capture the Patriots first men's outdoor fixed pins gold medal since 2018.  The trio defeated Michigan State in the quarterfinals, before taking down Montevallo in the semifinals 209-187.  In the gold medal match, UC defeated third-seed Pikeville 214-207. 

In the women's compound division, Nish partnered with Danielle Woodie and Marissa Harding for a 3-0 record.  The defeated Muskingum (201-196) and Columbia (215-203) to reach the finals.  In the gold medal, the Patriots took a nine-point lead midway through the match and earned the 219-216 win to successfully defend their national title.

Cumberlands captured national runner-up finishes in both the women's fixed pins team and the men's compound team division.  UC's women's recurve and women's barebow team division both notched third place finishes. It was the Patriots first women's barebow team podium finish at outdoor nationals since 2022.

The Patriots will look to close out the 2025 USA Collegiate National Championship strong on Sunday, May 18^th.  The head-to-head gold medal matches will begin at 8 a.m. followed by the mixed team gold medal matches.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics. Please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.