On target
The all-Navajo Recurve archery team captured the national title for Northern Arizona University at the 2015 United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships held in Newberry, Fla. Team members include, from left to right, Matthew Yazzie, Emmett Tsosie and Reuben Kee. (Courtesy photo)
NAU’s all-Navajo team strikes gold at nationals
The all-Navajo Recurve archery team captured the national title for Northern Arizona University at the 2015 United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships held in Newberry, Fla. Team members include, from left to right, Matthew Yazzie, Emmett Tsosie and Reuben Kee. (Courtesy photo)
FORT DEFIANCE
Northern Arizona University’s all-Navajo Recurve archery team captured the national championship at the recent 2015 United States Intercollegiate Archery Championships at Newbery, Fla.
The Recurve team consists of Emmett Tsosie of Steamboat, Ariz., Reuben Kee of Holbrook, Ariz., and Matthew Yazzie of Many Farms, Ariz.
The team outlasted University of California-Irvine, 5-4, to take the gold, as Kee hit the winning shot in the 10 ring arrow closest to the center. The match was tied 4-4 prior to Kee’s winning shot.
To reach the national title event, the trio defeated California State University-Long Beach, 6-0, in the semifinals.
Tsosie, a former Dine’ College archer, graduated from NAU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science a week before the tournament earned All-American and All-Academic honors.
“He is the only archer we will be losing to graduation this year,” said NAU coach Andrew Ned Jr., a Navajo from Lukachukai, Ariz. “Emmett shot good in the qualification rounds day one and day two of the tournament. He was ranked eighth after 144 arrows. Those scores combined with National Indoor scores earned him All-American and All-Academic honors.”
Yazzie is also a former Dine’ College archer.
“He shot descent on day one and improved his score on day two and ranked at 16 after 144 arrows,” Ned said of Yazzie. “He made his shots count during team rounds to contribute to the team winning the Recurve national title.”
Kee started the day good in the first round of day one and struggled a bit the next two rounds.
“Reuben came back with a good score for the last round of day two, which placed him at 18th after 144 arrows,” Ned said. “He did great during team rounds. He was the anchor for the Recurve team. He made the gold winning shot in the 10 ring which won the national title for the Recurve team.”
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