BUAP Archery Students Shine at International Competition in Las Vegas
Students from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) delivered a standout performance at an international archery competition held in Las Vegas, drawing attention for their precision and composure on the global stage. The event, which took place over three days in early November 2023, brought together collegiate and elite archers from across North America and beyond, providing a high-pressure test of skill and mental fortitude.
Competing in the recurve division, the BUAP team — composed of undergraduate athletes from the university’s sports sciences program — secured multiple top-10 finishes in individual events and contributed to a strong team standing in the mixed-gender category. Their results marked one of the best showings by a Mexican university delegation in recent memory at this particular tournament, which has grown in prestige since its inception in 2018.
According to verified results posted by the tournament organizer, USA Archery, the BUAP women’s recurve team finished seventh overall in the team round, while individual archer Mariana López placed ninth in the women’s individual recurve event with a score of 620 out of a possible 720. On the men’s side, Carlos Méndez achieved a personal best of 605, ranking 14th individually. These scores reflect not only technical improvement but also the ability to perform under the bright lights and loud crowds characteristic of Las Vegas venues.
The competition was held at the Las Vegas Archery Center, a facility known for hosting national championships and Olympic trials. Indoor conditions — controlled lighting, consistent wind barriers, and standardized target distances of 18 meters — allowed athletes to focus purely on form, and execution. For many of the BUAP archers, it was their first time competing outside Mexico in a sanctioned international event, making the experience as valuable as the results.
Head coach Dr. Elena Rojas, a former national team archer and professor of biomechanics at BUAP, emphasized the developmental significance of the trip. “This isn’t just about medals,” she said in a post-event interview with the university’s athletics department. “It’s about exposing our students to higher levels of competition, different shooting styles, and the mental resilience required to compete when every arrow counts. They handled the pressure exceptionally well.”
The BUAP delegation’s participation was supported by the university’s Office of Sports Representation, which allocates funding annually for student-athletes to compete in select international events. This year’s trip to Las Vegas was part of a broader initiative to elevate Puebla’s presence in non-traditional sports on the global stage, following similar sends to taekwondo and racquetball tournaments in recent years.
Archery has grown steadily in popularity at Mexican universities over the past decade, with BUAP emerging as one of the leading programs in central Mexico. The institution offers scholarships for high-performing athletes and integrates sports science principles into training, including video analysis, strength conditioning, and psychological preparation — all of which were evident in the archers’ consistency during elimination rounds.
One of the most notable moments came during the women’s team quarterfinal match, where BUAP faced a seeded team from the United States. Though they ultimately lost the match 5–3 in set points, the Puebla squad won the first set with a remarkable 56-point finish — the highest scored by any team in that round. Analysts noted the rare display of early dominance against a higher-ranked opponent, highlighting the team’s potential for future growth.
The Las Vegas event also served as a qualifier for several continental circuits, including events that feed into the Pan American Games cycle. While no BUAP archer secured direct qualification through this tournament, the experience gained will inform their preparation for upcoming national selection events in early 2024, particularly the CONADE Nationals and the World University Games qualifiers.
For the athletes themselves, the trip represented more than competition. Many cited the opportunity to interact with archers from the U.S. Collegiate system — including scholarship athletes from schools like Texas A&M and the University of California — as a motivating factor. “Seeing how they train, how they approach recovery, it gives us ideas,” said López, who is in her third year of studying physical education. “We bring that back to Puebla and adapt it to our context.”
The success in Las Vegas has already sparked conversations within BUAP’s athletics leadership about expanding support for archery and other precision sports. Discussions are underway regarding potential partnerships with international coaching clinics and increased access to sports psychology resources — areas identified as critical for narrowing the gap with top-tier programs.
As the university looks ahead, the focus shifts to sustaining momentum. The next major checkpoint for the BUAP archery team is the National University Games (Universiada Nacional) scheduled for May 2024 in Monterrey, where they will aim to defend their regional title and improve upon their national standing. Until then, training continues at the BUAP High Performance Center in Puebla, where athletes refine their technique under Coach Rojas’ guidance.
For readers interested in following the team’s progress, updates are regularly posted on the BUAP Athletics official website and social media channels. The story of these student-archers serves as a reminder that excellence in sport often begins not with fame, but with opportunity, discipline, and the courage to compete far from home.
As the Las Vegas trip demonstrated, when given the chance, BUAP’s archers don’t just participate — they distinguish themselves.
