Wade Gautreaux of Waynesville, Ohio, showed that his appearance in last year's ESPN Great Outdoor Games was no fluke when he won the "Eliminator Qualifier" tournament June 13-15 at McKean, Pa., securing his return to the Great Outdoor Games next month in Reno-Tahoe.

Gautreaux was one of two amateurs to qualify for the Great Outdoor Games in 2002 at Lake Placid, N.Y. His cheerful personality and impressive showing the first day of the 2002 finals made him a crowd favorite at Lake Placid.

	“	We were slipping and sliding all over the place, and the wind was blowing, but it was fun. I can't wait to get to Reno. ”
		— Wade Gautreaux, who fought through sloppy conditions to qualify for the Games' Archery competition.

He nearly secured his return to the Great Outdoor Games when he tied for third during the qualifying round at Oak Ridge, Tenn., in April, but lost the tie-breaker to Tim Gillingham of Lehi, Utah. That disappointment forced Gautreaux to make the five-hour drive to McKean on June 12, pitch a tent during an evening storm, and try one last time to make the finals. Gautreaux then overcame the wind and mud the next day to capture first place with a score of 42. He also shot the tournament's fastest round in the "Speed Challenge" station by breaking all four targets in 23.6 seconds.

The next best time at McKean was recorded by second-place finisher Rod White of Sparta, Wis., (40 points) who shot the Speed Challenge in 26.07 seconds. Also qualifying for the finals was Mark Herring of Ravenna, Ohio, with 39 points. Herring's time in the Speed Challenge was 35.19 seconds.

The ESPN "Eliminator" tournament, which is sponsored by ArrowSport and the Archery Trade Association, was held in conjunction with the Great Lake Shootout XII. The Shootout XII was the second leg of the 2003 International Bowhunting Organization's National Championship Triple Crown.

	Wade Gautreaux

The Eliminator is a fast-paced, made-for-TV competition that features prize money and moving targets, most of which shatter on impact. The ESPN Eliminator finals at the Great Outdoor Games, which will be July 10-13, feature head-to-head, single-elimination competition.

Jay Barrs, ArrowSport's director of promotions and the 1988 Olympics archery gold medalist and silver team medalist, supervises the Eliminator tournaments. He commended the shooters for enduring the bad weather and muddy course during the tournament.

Rod White, who won the archery gold medal in the 1996 Olympics and the bronze at the 2000 Olympics, will be making his third trip to the Great Outdoor Games. He said the only time the soggy course affected him was during the "Stop n Go" event, in which competitors run to their bow, pick it up and shoot from 20 and 30 yards.

"That was like sliding into third base," White said. "But I still should have done better. I made the mistake of using my 20-yard pin when shooting at the 30-yard target."

Not a fluke

Gautreaux said he was relieved to qualify for the finals because he wanted to prove to himself and others he wasn't just lucky to reach the 2002 Great Outdoor Games.

"I was trying so hard to get back again," Gautreaux said. "I really enjoy this tournament. It feels great to qualify because there was a lot of pressure. This was the last qualifying round, the course was muddy and the paths to the targets looked like cow trails. We were slipping and sliding all over the place, and the wind was blowing, but it was fun. It's awesome to be shooting with all these guys. I can't wait to get to Reno."

Herring secured third place by defeating Gerald Decker of Dalton, Pa., in a head-to-head competition during the tournament's final event. The two men took turns bumping each other out of the third spot during the second and third days before Herring prevailed. Herring has shot the Buckmasters tournament, but this will be his first appearance in the Great Outdoor Games.

The 16-person field for the Great Outdoor Games is now nearly complete. Because of conflicting schedules, alternates will be invited to fill two of the 16 slots. Barrs expects to fill the spots this week. Joining Gautreaux, White and Herring at Reno are seven archers from earlier qualifying tournaments in Las Vegas and Oak Ridge, as well as last year's top three finishers at Lake Placid: gold medalist Randy Hendrix of North Carolina, silver medalist Randy Ulmer of Arizona, and bronze medalist Darren Collins of Kansas.

The four qualifiers from the Las Vegas Eliminator tournament in February are Keith Brown, Greensboro, N.C.; Mike Slinkard, Johnday, Ore.; Jackie Caudle, Gadsden, Ala.; and Aya LaBrie, Aurora, Colo. The three qualifiers from the Oak Ridge Eliminator tournament are Don Bishop, Arden, N.C.; Gillingham; and Ginger Hopwood, Marietta, Ga.

Richard Leftwich of Salem, Va., had qualified for the Great Outdoor Games with a second-place finish at Oak Ridge, but is unable to attend the finals.