Texas A&M Archery Team earns National Championship title

Club brings Sport Clubs to 400 total National Championships

Keeping with a long, historic pattern of victory, TAMU Target Archers brought home from Georgia the 2024 Overall National Team Championship at Collegiate Target Nationals on May 19. This marks not only their 23rd national championship as a club, but Sport Clubs’ 400th national championship program-wide.

“It’s an exciting time for our entire program,” Sport Clubs Program Director Keith Joseph said. “This one was special for us because reaching that 400th national championship is a pretty good milestone.”

In the Recurve Men category, Aggies swept the podium with Trenton Cowles heading the charge. In Recurve Women, four archers made the top 15. 

Sawyer Sullivan took first place in Compound Men with teammates in 11th, 15th, 19th out of 59. Compound Women saw Carson Krahe in sixth and two others in the top 20. 

In the Barebow Men category, Aggies took first, fourth, 11th, and 21st. Venugopal Kunnavakkam and Ros Easley took second in Barebow Mixed, and Barebow Women had Target Archers in four top-15 spots. 

Conner Kaufhold, Jacob Gonzales, and Stefan Savin won the gold in the Men Fixed Pins with Madison Hausmann and Connor Kaufhold taking home a bronze for the mixed team.

“It’s definitely up to the individual participant to master their craft and compete,” Joseph said.

Doing exactly that, Sawyer Sullivan and Venugopal Kunnavakkam both took their respective categories by storm, setting new national records. 

But, this club is a team, too. On top of dozens of individual achievements, three teams won gold in their bow class, two won silver, and three won bronze.

Group of students in maroon attire posing with medals at the 2024 USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals, champions banner in the background.
Person in a Texas A&M jersey competing in archery with a compound bow, viewed from behind. Quiver with arrows attached to the person's back.
Person aiming a bow at an outdoor archery range, with an EASTON" banner in the background.
An archer in a Texas A&M University jersey aiming a blue compound bow at a target in an indoor archery range.
A row of archery targets lined up in an indoor range, each adorned with several arrows mostly clustered in the red and blue circles. The focus is on the closer targets, with a gradual blur effect toward the back of the line, emphasizing precision and repetition in the sport.
Archer at full draw in a competition, using a compound bow, wearing a red cap and gray sports shirt.
A person wearing a burgundy "Texas A&M" shirt and a white cap with the same logo is facing a row of archery targets displaying a series of colorful circles. They are holding a bow with an attached quiver full of arrows, poised as if assessing their next shot.
Person using a recurve bow at an archery range, aiming towards distant targets, with a camera set up on a tripod beside them.
Two archers aiming at targets during an indoor archery competition, with one archer in the process of releasing an arrow.
Archer in a maroon and white uniform aiming a bow with a focused expression, with a blue sky and blurred green field in the background. The uniform has "Texas A&M" text.
Female archer wearing a Texas A&M jersey and matching hat leaning up against the target, looking at her arrows.
The Texas A&M Target Archers won their 23rd national championship at the 2024 Collegiate Target Nationals, marking the 400th national title for Texas A&M’s Sport Clubs program.

“Winning a national championship means the world because it’s what they strive for every single year,” Joseph said. “It’s a tremendous feather in their cap.”

“We’re excited, moving into the future,” he continued. “Especially with this kicking off our 50th anniversary on campus with Sport Clubs. It’s pretty remarkable, the success that we’ve had throughout the years. It’s all a tribute to the students.”

For more details on the individual awards and All-American achievements from the national tournament, follow the Archery Sport Club on Instagram, @tamutargetarchers!

Written by: Claire Frazier ‘27