Photo By Pfc. Adasia Ortiz | U.S. Army Spc. Chastity Kuczer, assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort...... read more read more
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By Brandy Ostanik
Medical Department Activity – Alaska PAO
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – Ten Army athletes competed in the 2015 DoD Warrior Games archery competition at Marine Corps Base Quantico June 22, taking home four of the six medals presented for the days’ individual archery events.
The event began with archers, 18 meters from their target, competing in one of two categories; Individual Compound Open or Individual Recurve Open. Each category consisted of 20 rounds, called "ends," with three arrows shot during each end. At the completion of the 20 rounds, the top eight competitors in each category moved on to single-elimination rounds.
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Colten Harms, who had never picked up a bow before January of this year, earned his way into the medal rounds, and ultimately to a bronze medal in the compound open category, leaving him with goose bumps during his final arrows.
“I heard the Army fans yelling for me, I could feel their support and I just wanted to do the best I could,” said Harms. “I’ve been practicing for four or five hours a day every day since January. The whole process is really relaxing for me and it’s been a great way for me to stop focusing on my injury.”
While Harms was one of the newest Army archers competing, Spc. Chasity Kuczer was undoubtedly one of the most experienced.
Kuczer, who was first introduced to archery when she was four, became the first woman to medal in archery during the DoD Warrior Games, when she earned a gold medal in the individual compound open category.
“It was absolutely amazing,” said Kuczer. “I was nervous at the beginning, but my scores kept getting better and better and I started to relax. I was up by two going into the last end and I came out ahead.”
In addition to Kuczer and Harms winning gold and bronze respectively in the individual compound open, Veteran, Sgt. Sean Hook earned gold while Veteran, Staff Sgt. Billy Meeks earned silver in the individual recurve open.
The 2015 DoD Warrior Games, which continue through June 28, is an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. Approximately 250 athletes, representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations Command and the British Armed Forces are competing in archery, cycling, track & field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2015 19:27 |
| Story ID: | 167874 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 190 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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