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Ellison and Kaufhold to lead USA charge at 2025 World Championships in Gwangju

27 June 2025

Chula Vista, USA

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Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison to lead Team USA for Gwangju 2025 Hyundai Archery World Championships.

The USA teams for the 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships in Gwangju were finalised on Monday after the conclusion of national trials in Chula Vista, California.

The recurve rosters delivered few surprises, with established names continuing their strong form on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit.

World number one Brady Ellison topped the men’s standings after the two-month selection process, which began at April’s Arizona Cup and included points from the Gator Cup, SoCal Showdown, and concluding with 14 head-to-head matches among the top eight in each category in Chula Vista. His strong form continues to anchor the American recurve men.

Christian Stoddard, 19, joins Shanghai 2025 bronze medallist Ellison on the team, capping off an impressive transition to the senior ranks. Trenton Cowles completes the men’s trio after edging out Jack Williams, who had featured at all three World Cup stages so far this season.

The Olympic trio of Casey Kaufhold, Jennifer Mucino and Catalina Gnoriega will represent the recurve women again, having previously competed at the 2023 Hyundai Archery World Championships in Berlin. The team recently claimed USA’s first recurve women’s World Cup gold since 2015, winning in Antalya.

Kaufhold, a Paris 2024 bronze medallist, will be seeking individual redemption after falling short in the final at Yankton 2021.

“The trials were long this year, starting all the way back in April,” said Kaufhold, 21. “I felt like I started off strong leading after Arizona, then Gator Cup took a small dip, but I came back strong to finish with a lead at SoCal. I am honored to once again represent Team USA at the highest level.”

While recurve brought continuity, compound trials saw major shifts.

Sydney Sullenberger aiming at the 2023 World Youth Championships.

Notably absent is Sawyer Sullivan, the reigning world mixed team gold medallist in the compound men’s event and a core member of the US team since 2022. Sullivan finished sixth overall (32 points) and will not defend his title.

Instead, Curtis Broadnax (48 points) and Jesse Clayton (41.5) will join 2024 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final winner James Lutz (45.5) on the squad. Qualification was based on a separate ranking process, including a dedicated 72-arrow round, SoCal Showdown placement and round robin results – with no carry-over from early season events.

Both Broadnax and Clayton are former world youth medallists. In fact, the pair finished one-two at the 2017 World Archery Youth Championships in Rosario, with Broadnax taking gold. He also won silver at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Yankton.

In the compound women’s team, Sydney Sullenberger makes her return to the senior outdoor circuit after a three-year absence. The reigning World Archery Youth Champion from Limerick 2023 outscored veterans Paige Pearce and Carson Krahe, setting a new personal best of 701 in qualifying.

This compound team may be lacking big game experience their recurve counterparts possess, but USA’s raw talent in the event is undeniable.

Alongside the main squad, the USA para archery team was also named following concurrent trials in Chula Vista. Sixteen athletes were selected for the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships, among them reigning W1 men’s Paralympic Champion Jason Tabansky.

“South Korea has a special place in my heart,” said Tabansky, who was a late call-up to Paris. “Some people might think that I have a lot of pressure going in as the Paralympic Champion, but I’m just shooting my bow and enjoying every chance I get to be out on the competition field.”

With Gwangju looming and Olympic and Paralympic qualification pressure mounting, the question remains: will this mix of veteran stability and rising potential be enough to put the USA back on top of the world?