Archer Spotlight on Braden Gellenthien

By Steve Ross

Although Braden Gellenthien has only been shooting seriously for the past three years he has already risen to the top of the FITA target world. During the three years he has set 18 world records in Cadet, Junior and Senior divisions. A third place finish in the FITA world target championships in 2003 have solidified his place as one of the best compound archers in the world. The kicker is that Braden is 17 years old and still in high school. If you think that all this success might go to this young man head think again. I found Braden to be a thoughtful and considerate who clearly has a good head on his shoulders. Although he is very busy, fortunately for us he did find a little time to answer a few questions between school, training, and winning archery tournaments.

SRR: How long have you been shooting and how did you get started?

BG: I have been shooting since I was 11. I tried archery at a local cub scout camp, and really enjoyed it. At first I wasn't very good at it, and didn't even place at the competition that the instructor had among the scouts. Still however, I enjoyed the sport, and couldn't wait to get home to ask my parents to buy me a bow. Luckily they indulged my whim, and my dad and I began shooting together in the yard and at the local rod and gun club.

SRR: At what age did you start getting serious about the sport?

BG: Even though I started shooting at the age of 11, I didn't really get serious about archery until I was 14. Before then I was content with being competitive at the local level, but it wasn't until meeting my coach Terry Wunderle, that I became involved with the national level of competition. I then quickly realized that my level of shooting was no where near the level needed to compete nationally, and this made my drive to be a competitive archer all the more present.

SRR: Were you successful right from then start in tournaments?

BG: I was anything but successful when I first started shooting tournaments. I used to get so nervous at the small, local tournaments, that I'd almost forget what I was doing on the line. My focus went from being "alright, lets see if we can hit the gold" like it was in practice, to being "lets see if we can hit the target this time" once the tournament started. Once I got over that, things didn't get much better for me too quickly. I was able to relax more at the tournaments, but still, I wasn't anywhere near the level that I am at today. It really wasn't until I began shooting with the help of my coach, and switching to a backtension release, that I started to compete well at tournaments.

SRR: What styles have you shot?

BG: The only style of shooting that I have ever tried seriously has been a compound bow with a release. I've never seriously tried shooting a recurve, but I've been more than happy shooting my compound. Possibly, now that I am shooting for Hoyt, I may venture into the recurve world, but I wouldn't count on being a contender of any level with a recurve.

SRR: What is your favorite competition format and why?

BG: My favorite competition format would have to be the outdoor FITA round. It's mainly the only format that I shoot, so I don't exactly have much to base another format on. Indoor tournaments on a multi color target would be a close second, but the only thing keeping these rounds from being my favorite is that they can get pretty boring at times. With shooting outdoors, the shooter constantly has the wind playing with the arrow, which helps to liven up the tournament. Also, being able to shoot 90 meters can give a sense of confidence unlike anything else. Just to know that you can hit the 10 ring at 90 meters with a 10 mile an hour cross wind is enough to make any archer proud of their ability.

SRR: What world records do you currently hold?

BG: Currently, I hold FITA world records in the Cadet, Junior, and Senior divisions. In the Cadet division, I have the record for the 70m,60m,50m,and 30m rounds, as well as the 18 arrow elimination round match and the 36 arrow finals total. In setting these records, I also set the 144 arrow FITA round record being the first person to break 1400 on the ladies FITA with a 1401. For the team competitions in the Cadet division, I was a member of the teams that hold the 3x144 arrow FITA round, 3x9 arrow match, and the double 3x9 arrow match records. In the Junior division, I currently hold the records for the 90m, 50m, and 30m rounds, as well as the 144 arrow FITA round record. For the Junior Indoor records, I currently hold the 18 arrow elimination round record, and both of the indoor team round records. Also, I was a member of the Senior team that set the 3x144 arrow record. Currently I hold 18 world records in the Cadet, Junior, and Senior divisions.

SRR: I wanted to congratulate you on your third place at the FITA world target. How did the event go for you? Did you do any special training to prepare for it?

BG: Thank you. I felt that the event went better than I could have ever imagined. The whole competition was surreal. From the first arrow at 90m to the last arrow that I shot in the bronze medal match, I was completely enveloped in the tournament. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, I didn't do as much physical training as I had before other tournaments, but I strongly focused on the mental aspect of my game. I knew that this would be the key to competing well with the top Senior archers in the world. A strong mental game was the ingredient I had been missing at the previous Junior World Championships, so I really felt strongly that I needed to further develop it before the tournament. I feel as though I can really credit my placement in the tournament to being mentally ready for the tournament. Terry Wunderle has really helped me to realize how important the mental game is, and that without it, a person can't compete consistently to their desired level.

SRR: Technically you are still a Junior but you are competing with the senior men. Do the other competitors give you a hard time being for the youngster in the group?

BG: Yes, I am still technically a Junior, and I will be for the 2004 year as well, even though I have been competing with the Senior men. Despite being the youngster in the group, I don't feel as though I am given any more of a hard time than any of the other archers. If anything, I receive more comments about the color of my fletch. For those of you who don't know me, my fletch are pink. I feel that I have been very lucky to have been accepted into the Senior division as well as I have been.

SRR: If I remember correctly at one time you were a team member of both USAT and Jr. USAT, is that correct?

BG: Yes, last year I was named to both the Junior and Senior USAT. With the addition of the Junior World Championships, and the trial tournament for the championships, I was able to get the needed points to qualify myself for the Junior USAT while being able to compete as a Senior at the NAA Outdoor Nationals. This year, I qualified again for both teams, but a rule was put in place after I was named to both team last year that stated an archer must choose only one of the teams.

SRR: Can you tell us about Terry Wunderle's coaching method? As I understand it, his philosophy is to focus on shot execution and the feeling of a perfect shot. Is that your focus in training and competitions?

BG: Obviously, I feel that Terry Wunderle's coaching methods are the best out there. He helps the archer to focus more upon the perfect shot, and the feeling of the perfect shot, than the other aspects of shooting. He also helps to develop the mental game of the archer. This helps the archer to be able to relax more than others in high-pressure situations. This is essential to be able to stand on the line in front of thousands of spectators and be able to continue to hit the 10 ring. Once the mental game is established, and the archer is able to concentrate on the feeling of the shot more than trying to control the pin, it really doesn't matter whether the archer is shooting by his or herself in practice, or is competing in the gold match of a World Championship. Throughout competing, my focus has mainly been on only the perfect shot. I won't lie and tell you that the thoughts about score and placement had never crossed my mind, but I don't dwell upon those thoughts any more than I would recollecting what I had eaten for lunch the previous day. This is important to allow the archer to compete to his or her optimum level of competition at all times.

SRR: I'm sure you have heard the sad news that Adam Wheatcroft recently passed away. Did he have an impact on you? Any memorable events with him you would like to share?

BG: Yes, I have heard the news about Adam Wheatcroft. He, without a doubt, has had the largest effect upon me of any archer that I have ever met. Whether it be in archery, or life itself, Adam provided me with a role model to look up to. Ever since I was just beginning to shoot archery, I wanted to be just like Adam. The most memorable event that I was able to share with Adam was at the Texas Shoot Out in 2002. The event was not standing up on the line with him shooting for the gold, but it was what happened before hand, as we sat behind under the tent before the competition had started. We were talking about life in general and which college I thought I would attend, as well as his reasons for attending JMU over Texas A&M. This conversation that we had will always be etched in my mind, as will every other conversation that we had ever had. Of all things, I just wish that I had the chance to thank Adam for being my inspiration to excel at every aspect of my life.

SRR: What are your plans for 2004? Are you going to focus on any specific events?

BG: This year, I am focusing on four major tournaments. The first being the World Archery Festival in Las Vegas, the second being the Jr. World Trials in Salt Lake City, the third being the Jr. World Championships in Great Britain, and the fourth being the NAA Outdoor Nationals.

SRR: What is your equipment setup?

BG: Currently, for indoors, I am shooting a Hoyt Pro Elite. For a sight, I am using a Copper John, with a 6x Super Scope from Specialty Archery with a fiberoptic pin. For a stabilizer, I am using the 24" Super Stix 4 rod. For outdoors, I am using the same equipment, but instead of using the Pro Elite, I am using the Ultra Elite, for the extra speed.

SRR: Would you like to mention anyone for giving you support this year?

BG: The most important person that has helped me through this year has been my coach, Terry Wunderle. Without his help, I would not have the form or mental game that I have today. With his coaching, he has helped me to develop from being an average shooter to the shooter that I am today. I would also like to thank my sponsors. With their help, I was able to make some changes with my equipment that I am sure will help me in the future. I would like to specifically thank Don Chipman from Specialty Archery who has supported my shooting, and was able to watch me compete at the World Championships in NYC, Doug Williams for aiding me in my switch to Copper John as well as the help he gave me while trying to learn how to use the new Stan releases, and finally, Mike Luper and all of the Hoyt Staff who have helped me to switch to their company's products. From the shooters standpoint, I would like to thank Eric Griggs for really pushing me this summer to achieve the best level of shooting that I could, and also for the countless hours he spent helping me with my equipment and showing me how to do things the way they should be done. I would also like to thank Chris Reed of Reedy's Archery who first helped me when I was a local shooter, and has continued his support throughout my career.