UNAM archers secured five medals at the Copa Presidente 2026, marking a strong performance for the university’s Programa de Extensión de Tiro con Arco. Six athletes from the institution competed in the national event organized by World Archery México, held between March 18 and 22 in Apizaco, Tlaxcala, at the Ciudad Deportiva de Alto Rendimiento. A total of 535 archers from 23 delegations participated in the competition.
The medal haul consisted of one gold and four silver medals. Martha Gómez Noriega, a 62-year-old graduate of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, claimed gold in the master women’s compound bow category (+50 years). She overcame strong winds during the qualification round to finish above her sole rival before winning the Olympic round (elimination stage) with 110 points against local archer Bricia Morales, who scored 59 points.
“My main goal was always to win first place. Once they hung the gold medal around my neck, celebrating with my UNAM teammates, including my son Emilio Gómez Gómez, was an indescribable feeling,” Gómez said after her victory.
Uriel Castro Pérez, a student from the Faculty of Estudios Superiores Aragón, earned two silver medals. His first came in individual competition in the men’s under-24 compound bow category, where he advanced to the final after tying at 138 points in the semifinal and winning the tiebreaker with a perfect 10. He lost the final by a single point. His second silver was achieved in a team event, though specific details of the team composition or discipline were not provided in the verified sources.
The remaining two silver medals were earned by other members of the six-athlete UNAM squad, though their names and specific events were not detailed in the available verified reports. The competition results confirm that UNAM’s archers collectively contributed to the team’s five-medal total across individual and team disciplines.
World Archery México sanctioned the event, which served as a national-level competition drawing participants from across Mexico. The venue in Apizaco provided standardized conditions for Olympic-style archery competition, with athletes competing in recurve and compound bow divisions across various age and gender categories.
For UNAM’s archery program, the performance at Copa Presidente 2026 highlights the depth of talent within its extension initiative, which combines academic pursuits with high-level athletic training. The program continues to develop athletes capable of competing at national levels while representing the university in intercollegiate and open competitions.
Looking ahead, the archers will likely shift focus to upcoming national qualifiers and regional events later in 2026, though no specific future competitions were mentioned in the verified sources covering the Copa Presidente results. The next major checkpoint for many competitors will be the national championship circuit leading into seasonal finals.
As university sports programs across Mexico continue to strengthen their support for niche disciplines like archery, performances such as UNAM’s at Copa Presidente 2026 demonstrate the value of sustained investment in athlete development. The results contribute to the growing profile of collegiate archery in the country and may inspire increased participation at the grassroots level.
Fans of university sports and archery enthusiasts can follow UNAM’s athletic programs through official university channels for updates on upcoming competitions and athlete achievements. The team’s success in Tlaxcala adds to a growing legacy of excellence in Mexican university archery.
