Wildcat Archers Dominate at Eastern Regional Event
Published 04.28.2009
"I'm very happy with the way things went. You couldn't ask for any better weather. Usually we get rain, sleet and high winds, but, this year, it was beautiful. There was a little bit of wind on Saturday, but Sunday turned out to be excellent. That's what I was praying for," Penn College coach Chad Karstetter said.
In addition to taking team championships in the men's and women's compound and the men's recurve divisions, nine Wildcats were named to the All-East Team, which included results from two earlier competitions and the Eastern Regional event.
In claiming its first-ever men's recurve gold in Eastern Regional competition, Penn College archers Glen Thomas (Mercer), Martin Smith (Brookville) and James Fanelli (Glastonburg, Conn.) combined for 14 of a possible 24 points at a hit-or-miss target to beat James Madison University by three. In the head-to-head individual Olympic round, Thomas finished third.
"They shot really well," Karstetter commented.
Penn College needed "overtime" to claim its titles in the men's and women's compound events, however.
In men's compound, Brad Ferguson (Lewistown), Dan Wido (Shickshinny) and Zach Plannick (Coraopolis) scored a 19 to tie Atlantic Cape Community College. The winner was decided in a sudden death, where each member of the team shoots one arrow within a one-minute time period. Penn College finished with three hits to two for the New Jersey team. The result kept the Wildcats undefeated for the season in the event. In individual competition, Ferguson was second his highest finish of the season and Wido third.
"They stayed right on par being on the top. Winning another event was excellent," the coach said.
In women's compound, Lindsey Fackler (Halifax), Cheryl Brooks (Reynoldsville) and Julie Cain (Bellefonte) tied James Madison archers with 12 points each in regulation, then took a 2-1 win in sudden death. Fackler placed fourth individually.
"That was a great finish as they won their first event for this year. They worked well together," Karstetter said, pointing out that Fackler, a senior, was the only experienced woman archer returning from last year and that both freshmen Cain and Brooks never competed before.
Named to the All-East Team were Ferguson, Wido, Plannick and Aaron Lapinski (Bloomsburg) in men's compound; Thomas and Martin Smith in men's recurve; and Fackler, Brooks and Cain in women's compound.
Next up for the Wildcats will be the season-ending national championships at California State University in Long Beach, Calif., May 14-17. Based on last weekend's showing, they are primed and ready to go.
(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. )