Madison, Wis. — Randy Hendrix of Clemons, N.C., overcame frequent rain and erratic winds Friday to capture his third archery gold medal in the past four years during Great Outdoor Games V presented by Dodge.
Hendrix won gold medals in 2001 and 2002 at Lake Placid, N.Y., and won bronze in 2003 at Reno-Tahoe. He won his third championship in a dramatic final-round victory over Wayne Endicott of Springfield, Ore., who was making his first appearance at the Games.
Drama hounded Hendrix from start to finish in all four of his matches. He overcame strong challenges from Mike Slinkard of John Day, Ore., in the first round and then had to win a shoot-off in the second round against Olympics archer Rod White of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. His only match that didn't go down to the final shots came after eventual fourth-place finisher Jackie Caudle of Gadsden, Ala., gambled on a tough shot and missed in the quarterfinals.
Caudle won gold at the first Great Outdoor Games in 2000, and finished fourth at the 2003 Games.
"All these guys are very tough shooters, no matter how many times they've been here," Hendrix said. "I'm just happy and relieved. This was a great field of archers. I feel fortunate to be shooting with them."
Not only did eventual silver medalist Endicott go up against Hendrix, but he earned that position by knocking out last year's gold and silver medalists in the second round and quarterfinals. After winning his first-round matchup against Donald Bishop of Arden, N.C., Endicott shocked the crowd by defeating the 2003 gold medalist, Darren Collins of Galena, Kansas, in the second round.
Collins and Endicott finished their match tied, and Endicott won the round in a shoot-off. In the quarterfinals, Endicott brought the crowd to its feet again when he defeated Randy Ulmer of Cave Creek, Ariz., the silver-medalist from the past two Games.
Ulmer was impressed by Endicott's performance: "I wasn't too worried about him when I first got here, because this is his first time, but after watching him practice I got a little more scared," Ulmer said. "I don't know if he's just that accurate or if he's just that cool under pressure. All I know is that there isn't any more pressure in archery than this event, and Wayne handled it well."
Hendrix carries a decided psychological edge over most of the field. He earned his nickname, "The Quiet Intimidator," by consistently shooting fast and accurately in the event's final station, the "Speed Challenge." In that station, archers compete to see who can shoot four 4-inch circular disks at 25 yards the fastest. Hendrix seldom misses a shot and often runs the table in less than 25 seconds. That reputation often forces his competitors to take chances in the first three stations to get ahead of him before the Speed Challenge. More often than not, the gambles don't pay.
Endicott learned that firsthand in the gold medal round. As did Caudle before him - Endicott gambled by trying a tough shot in the third station, even though he was leading Hendrix 18-12 at the time. Endicott's 40-yard shot for a 9-point disk missed, allowing Hendrix to play his shot conservatively and shoot a 6-inch target to tie the score going into the final station.
Then, true to his reputation, Hendrix won gold by being first to break his four targets in the Speed Challenge.
"I've always been a gambler, and I don't look back with any regrets," Endicott said. "I thought I had a good chance to go up 15 points on Randy, and just missed. I still got silver and that feels great. I went up against some of the country's best archers today, some real giants in this sport. Winning silver against that competition feels great."
By capturing the top four spots, Hendrix, Endicott, Ulmer and Caudle automatically qualified for the 2005 Great Outdoor Games.
Admission to the Great Outdoor Games is free. The Games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC from July 14 through July 19.
Top outdoor athletes from around the world compete for entry into the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, held in Madison, Wis. July 8-11. The ultimate championship of outdoor sports features one-of-a-kind, head-to-head competition in timber and target events, sporting dogs, and fishing. While entertaining large crowds on site, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games also draws a worldwide television audience airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports.
The Games are sponsored by Dodge, Miller Brewing Co., Stihl Inc., Valvoline Durablend, CITGO, Eukanuba, Johnsonville Brats, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Tinactin, and Beretta USA Corp.
For additional information, contact ESPN Outdoors Communications at 608.256.1463 or visit www.espnoutdoorsmedia.com.
Archery - Final Standings
1. Randy Hendrix, Clemons, N.C.
2. Wayne Endicott, Springfield, Ore.
3. Randy Ulmer, Cave Creek, Ariz.
4. Jackie Caudle, Gadsden, Ala.
5. Jeff Johnston, Dodgeville, Wis.
6. Darren Collins, Galena, Kansas
6. Rod White, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
8. Mark Herring, Kent, Ohio
9. Donald Bishop, Arden, N.C.
10. Chris Berry, Aurora, Mo.
10. Mike Slinkard, John Day, Ore.
12. Ginger Hopwood, Marietta, Ga.
13. Darin Mack, Avondale, Pa.
14. Tim Gillingham, Orem, Utah
14. Cindy Decker, Dalton, Pa.
16. Gerald Decker, Dalton, Pa
