Relying on the advice of two archers that had already experienced the spectacle of the world's largest archery tournament a year ago, two members of the Grand Canyon University Club Archery Team's placed in the top 10 of their respective categories' flights at Vegas Shoot 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The seven-player contingent took part in the three-day tournament that brings 4000 archers from around the globe annually to the South Point Hotel and Casino on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.
 

The Lopes were led by a pair of bowhunters, junior Tim Utsler and sophomore Makayla Dickey, who both fought the highs and lows of the weekend to finish among the top in their division. Utsler – making his second straight appearance in Las Vegas – bested his 18^th-place finish from last year in the bowhunter division by setting a personal-best 285 on Friday's first day of action, slumping to 270 on Saturday, then rebounding well on Sunday for a finishing total of 837 (out of 900). For the second straight tournament, Utsler's 8^th-place finish in the 7^th flight was good enough to earn a payout.
 

Meanwhile, Dickey made her first appearance at the South Point but didn't let the national stage deter her from shooting her career best. Dickey topped her personal best by 20 points, consistently shooting between 272 and 276 each day for a finishing total of 823, placing 10^th in the 8^th flight.

Meanwhile, in the compound open division, the Lopes' other returning archer, Lopes' Student Head Keegan Spurlock, self-admittedly had a very 'middle of the road' tournament, shooting a 287 on Friday, but unable to top that mark the rest of the way. Spurlock wound up in the 25^th flight and placed 13^th. Also not content with her overall performance, Lopes' freshman Eloise Hansemann still shot well in her first trip to the Silver State, shooting an impressive 298 on the second day, and finishing 18^th in Flight #11.

"There is always more work to do, and more practice to be had, but I'm very proud of the team," said Spurlock. "Archery has been and always will be a battle in the mind, and when you go in and learn on the fly, it totally can change the game. Everyone kept their composure and had a good time in Vegas regardless. (The tournament) is changing locations next year, so just like that, the preparation phase is already starting."

The results for all Lopes' participants are below:
 

NAME	CATEGORY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY	OVERALL	FLIGHT/PLACE
	COMPOUND OPEN
Eloise Hansemann	Female	290	298	292	890	11/19th
Keegan Spurlock	Male	287	282	286	855	25/13th
Taylor Obiano-Julian	Female	268	272	270	810	35/18th
	BOWHUNTER
Tim Utsler	Male	285	270	282	837	7/8th
Makayla Dickey	Female	276	272	274	823	8/10th
Sean Cunningham	Male	249	256	253	758	11/20th
	RECURVE BAREBOW
Jessica Hanneman	Female	140	130	87	357	10/30th