The Rushmore Rumble Offers a Thrilling Kickoff to the 2025 Indoor Archery Season

The 4th Annual Rushmore Rumble at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center concluded with an exciting and competitive weekend of archery, attracting nearly 400 athletes from 36 U.S. states and five countries. Held from January 3–5, 2025, the event showcased new Bowhunter and Barebow Recurve divisions for Junior divisions, cash prizes in all Adult divisions, a total of $6,000 in scholarships for the junior and collegiate archers, and a nail-biting shoot-off to close the weekend.

Event Format & Rounds

The event spanned two days of exciting competition. On Day 1, archers shot a 600 Vegas round on the 40 cm 5-spot target, consisting of 12 ends of 5 arrows at 20 yards. The 5-spot target featuring scoring areas from 10-7 is unique to the Rushmore Rumble. Archers could also opt to shoot on the 40 cm single-spot target, with scoring rings ranging from 10-1. Competitors had four minutes to complete each end.

Day 2 brought the traditional Vegas 300 round, shot on a 40 cm 3-spot or single-spot target. This standard round consisted of 10 ends of 3 arrows, with a 2-minute time limit per end.

New Divisions

The 2025 Rushmore Rumble launched Bowhunter and Barebow Recurve divisions for all Junior divisions and new Collegiate divisions for archers with an NFAA Collegiate Membership. These divisions will also be featured at the upcoming Vegas Shoot and First Dakota Classic, helping to provide young archers and collegiate athletes with more opportunities to compete in top-tier events.

Scholarship Awards

The Rushmore Rumble once again highlighted the NFAA Foundation’s commitment to supporting the next generation of archers. A combined total of $4,000 in scholarships was awarded to first-place winners in the male and female Cub, Youth, and Young Adult divisions across Compound, Recurve, and the newly added Bowhunter and Barebow Recurve categories.

Additionally, the inaugural collegiate divisions provided an exciting opportunity for student-athletes to compete for scholarships. The NFAA Foundation, in partnership with the NFAA, awarded $2,000 in scholarships to the first-place winners in the Collegiate Male and Female Compound, Recurve, Bowhunter, and Barebow Recurve divisions.

Division Winners & Highlights

Many archers delivered outstanding performances throughout the weekend. Among them, Alexis Ruiz and Grant Schleusner each posted flawless 900 scores in the Championship Compound Female and Championship Compound Senior divisions, securing top honors. Zakary Bisinger claimed the Championship Barebow Recurve Open title, showcasing exceptional skill and precision on the Vegas target. Olympic medalist Brady Ellison reaffirmed his status as one of the world’s top archers by winning the Championship Recurve Male title. Meanwhile, Lawson Veit shot a perfect 900 to take the Collegiate Compound Male title and earn a spot in the highly anticipated Open shoot-off.

View Final Results View Cash Payouts

Spectacular Shoot-Off to Remember

The highlight of the weekend was the Championship Compound Open shoot-off, which took place after 13 archers shot a perfect 900 score across both days. As the shoot-off progressed, archers slowly began to drop off, with Dane Johnson ultimately finishing third. The final showdown then began with an incredible battle between past Vegas Champions, Bodie Turner and Mathias Fullerton. They traded perfect X’s for 66 extraordinary arrows, but Fullerton ultimately made a rare mistake in the 23rd end, narrowly missing the X-ring. Turner, the defending 2024 Rushmore Rumble Champion, held his ground, winning the shoot-off and securing another title in dramatic fashion.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 Rushmore Rumble was a celebration of both elite talent and grassroots growth in the sport of archery. With the introduction of new divisions and a focus on providing scholarship opportunities, the event is poised to continue its growth and impact on the archery community. Archers appreciated the chance to compete in a setting that afforded them invaluable practice on the Vegas target in a high-stakes environment, preparing them for the upcoming indoor season. For many, the Rushmore Rumble marks the start of the year’s competitive archery season, offering a perfect opportunity to gauge progress and gain valuable experience in a top-tier competition. Congratulations to all winners, and a big thanks to everyone who participated in making this year’s Rushmore Rumble a resounding success.

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