ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606240146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
RANDY ULMER holds a slight lead at the Pro-Am Championship at Smith Mountain Lake.
``Pop'' - $300. ``Thump'' - $300. ``Bang'' - $300.
Those were the sounds of Randy Ulmer shooting his way into the lead Saturday during the Archery Shooter's Association Trebark Virginia Pro/Am Championship at Smith Mountain Lake. First place pays $10,000, plus bonus points toward the $50,000 ``Shooter of the Year'' title, and that can make each arrow worth $300.
Ulmer, a 38-year veterinarian from Cave Creek, Ariz., shot a first-day round of 206, giving him a 4-point lead over a trio of shooters going into today's final round and shoot-off. The event, which has a $93,000 purse, has attracted about 250 pros and 1,000 amateurs, said Dave Foster, an ASA official.
``It is one of the toughest courses, if not the toughest,'' said Ulmer. ``All the targets were long.''
Most of the 3-D, wildlife targets were set near the maximum 45-yard mark, where they were scattered among towering hardwoods that were streaked and splashed with patches of sun and shade.
There was one exception.
``We had one target out there that was just 10 yards,'' said Ulmer.
``It threw a lot of people for a loop.''
It was like a change-up pitch for many shooters, but Ulmer hit it dead center.
``I had to shoot it first and I shot a center 12,'' he said.
You score a perfect 12 when your arrow hits a kill spot that ranges in size from a dime to a 50-cent piece.
A scant four points behind Ulmer are Paul Thompson, Lucedale, Miss.; Brian Huff, Lilburn, Ga. and Eric Griggs, Springfield , Vt., each with 202.
Nationally-ranked pro Randy Chappell, from New Castle, didn't make the top-10, but expressed satisfaction with his performance. ``I'm doing well. I have a chance of winning,'' he said.
The course, on American Electric Power Co.'s property near Union Hall, won high praise from shooters.
``This is the best,'' said Ulmer.
``I've had people say this is the finest facility and finest shoot since the ASA started four years ago,'' said Foster.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PHILIP HOLMAN/Staff. Randy Chappell, of Catawba's Twoby CNBFlags Archery Club, has been a professional archer for five years.
He said it's rare to compete close to home, as he did in Saturday's
Archery Shooter's Association Trebark Virginia Pro/Am Championship
at Smith Mountain Lake. color.