OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – North Carolina’s Randy Hendrix found himself in familiar territory April 29 when he locked up the top seed for the Hot Shots! championship May 27 in Dallas by defeating Utah’s Tim Gillingham in the final round of “The Eliminator” qualifying event. Hendrix is not the only Tar Heel archer in the 16-man field. He is joined by Keith Brown, of Greensboro, as the 8th seed and Marty Chapman, of Hendersonville, as the 12th seed.
Hendrix, who won three gold medals while dominating recent Eliminator events at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games (GOG), edged Gillingham in an exciting shoot-off after their head-to-head finals ended in a tie. Taking the third seed was Mark Wagner of Iowa, who defeated Chris Berry of Missouri in their consolation matchup. All four have competed at previous Eliminator championships at the Great Outdoor Games.
The three-day Oak Ridge Qualifier was held in conjunction with the ASA Delta Targets Pro/Am tournament. The qualifying event attracted 56 archers hoping to win one of the 16 seeds to compete in Dallas for the Hot Shots! championship.
The Eliminator is a fast-paced archery competition developed by the Archery Trade Association and its archery foundation, ArrowSport. It features prize money, moving targets, strategic decisions, and head-to-head competition. Targets shatter on impact, so spectators know instantly how each shooter is doing, and try to guess how each hit or miss will affect a competitor’s strategy.
ATA contracted with Creek Side Entertainment to make the Eliminator part of the Hot Shots! show on ESPN2. The Hot Shots! championships will be held at the Elm Fork Shooting Park in Dallas, and telecast in late June on ESPN2.
The 16-archer field will compete for a first-place prize of $2,000 in Dallas. The total Hot Shots! purse is $5,000, with payments going to the top eight finishers. Other Eliminator veterans advancing to the championship were Keith Brown of North Carolina, the 2005 GOG gold medalist; Wayne Endicott of Oregon, the 2004 silver medalist; Jackie Caudle of Alabama, 2000 gold medalist; Josh Deering, Michigan; and Marty Chapman, North Carolina.
“We had a very competitive field at Oak Ridge,” said Bryan Roe, the ATA’s event coordinator for the Eliminator. “Our veteran shooters won the top seeds, but several new shooters turned in great performances. That’s why we expect the championships to provide intense competition no matter where these guys are seeded. That’s the fun thing about the Eliminator. Even if you’re a top seed, you can end up on the sidelines after one round if you don’t come out with your best game. We’ve seen many such upsets in previous years.”
ATA and its nonprofit foundation ArrowSport contracted with Shari LeGate’s Creek Side Entertainment company to produce and telecast three segments of Hot Shots! on ESPN2. The first Hot Shots! show, a one-hour version, airs June 25 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. The other two segments air June 26 at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
For more information on the Eliminator — including its rules, regulations and entry fees — please contact Bryan Roe at (801) 261-2380, extension 10; or bryanroe@archerytrade.org.
Hot Shot Seedings:
1. Randy Hendrix; Clemmons, N.C.
2. Tim Gillingham; Provo, Utah
3. Mark Wagner; Des Moines, Iowa
4. Chris Berry; Sarcoxie, Mo.
5. Josh Deering; Maple City, Mich.
6. Justin Martin; Daleville, Ala.
7. Wayne Endicott; Springfield, Ore.
8. Keith Brown; Greensboro, N.C.
9. Cody Walsh; Clever, Mo.
10. Brian Clarke; Traverse City, Mich.
11. Justin Ernstmeyer; Reedsburg, Wis.
12. Marty Chapman; Hendersonville, N.C.
13. Jackie Caudle; Gadsden, Ala.
14. Sammy Beene; Humble, Texas
15. Clyde Huckeba; Oxford, Ala.
16. Robby Workman; Hector, Ark.
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