OLYMPIC ARCHERY TRIALS Burkett is seventh entering the finals
The Sharpsville, Pa., native is 33 points behind the third-place qualifying spot.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
MASON -- John Burkett, 21, a native of Sharpsville, Pa., holds seventh place in the remaining field of eight shooters in men's recurve competition of the USA Olympic Archery Team Trials being held this week at Heritage Park in Mason, Ohio.
After the fourth day of shooting and 22 total matches Friday, Burkett, who now lives in McDonald, Pa., had 3,674 points heading into today's final session.
The leader is Vic Wunderle of Mason City, Ill., with 3,812, followed by Butch Johnson (Woodstock, Conn., 3,795), John Magera (Carterville, Ill., 3,707), Scott McKechnie (Orange, Calif., 3,696) , Jason McKittrick (Holton, Ind., 3,692) and Joe McGlyn (Floral Park, N.Y., 3,684. Eighth is Guy Krueger (Blessing, Tex., 3,663).
Johnson, 48, of Woodstock, Conn., is a three-time Olympian and is ranked No. 1 in the U.S., while Wunderle, 28, of Mason City, Ill., is ranked No. 2.
Top three qualify
The top three finishers qualify for the U.S. team for the upcoming Athens Olympics. The fourth-place finisher will become an alternate.
Burkett is 33 points behind the third-place qualifying spot.
The field was reduced from the original 64 shooters to 16 after Wednesday and eight after Thursday for Friday's and today's round-robin competition.
The trials will end today when the team will be announced.
Held fourth Thursday
Burkett held fourth place after Thursday's sessions with 2,937 points. The top three at that point were Wunderle (3022), Johnson (3001) and Magera (2960).
Johnson, 48, of Woodstock, Conn., is a three-time Olympian and is ranked No. 1 in the U.S., while Wunderle, 28, of Mason City, Ill., is ranked No. 2.
Rod White, formerly from Sharpsville and now of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was 16th after Thursday with 2,832, and did not advance to Friday's competition.
White is a two-time Olympian. He was a member of the 1996 U.S. team that won the gold medal, and the 2000 team that won the bronze.
Burkett has been a member of the U.S. national team the past five years, after advancing rapidly through the junior ranks. He started shooting when he was 13.
His biggest achievement to date was winning the Arizona Cup April 7 in Phoenix, beating many of the most prominent archers he is facing this week.