Cibola County has gained recognition for its Grants 4-H Recurve Archery team’s achievements that made local history.
James Ward, a two-time State Champion, Ralph Ortega, a three-time State Champion and two-time high point individual, Brandi Bassett, a two-time State Champion, and Jayden Patcigo, a first-time State Champion have all contributed to the team’s success, despite not being able to participate altogether more than once.
Making History
Six weeks before the 2024 State Championships, which would determine if the team went to Nationals, the recurve archery team needed another member as each team must consist of three of four people.
Nervous, but swayed since it would be her last year’s competition, Brandi switched from compound to recurve despite the tough transition and short amount of time before the big competition. “I practiced every single day for six weeks straight.” Brandi stated.
Compound, the type of archery she was accustomed to, had a release mechanism where the archer only needed to pull about 20 to 30 percent of the weight. In contrast, recurve archery demands constant finger pulling of the entire weight, requiring greater strength and endurance.
“They’re really, really good…” Brandi said about her recurve teammates James and Ralph “They’re both amazing archers and its awesome to shoot next to them- I mean [its] exhausting but I’m glad I did it.”
The 2024 State Championship was the first time James, Ralph, and Bassett shot together as a team. Ralph placed 1st, James was 2nd, and Brandi got 3rd. “Unprecedented.” Coach Anna Cruz Landschoot remarked “No other county had ever done that before... They went back this year as a team and did the same thing. Ralph first, James second, and Brandi third.”
In the past three years, two teams have been sent to Nationals. Their first-ever Nationals placement was eighth, while their second was sixth overall. This June, James became the first New Mexican archer to win a national championship.
The team made history as the first recurve team to win three consecutive state championships in Cibola County, becoming the defending champions. Their victories were overwhelming, with the first win by 200 points, the second by 700 points, and the third by an outstanding 1300 points.
Throughout the years not all of the members were the same and it wasn’t until the third year that it was Ralph, James, Brandi , and Jayden, however, like their Coach Cruz Landschoot stated “The bottom line is, [other teams] can’t touch them.”
2025 National Championship
Coach Cruz Landschoot explained “For the last two and a half years [or] three years [they] have been working towards this goal and every year, the goal changes a little bit.”
Cibola County, representing New Mexico, participated in the Recurve Archery event at the 2025 National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships held in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Over 740 participants from 40 states competed in nine disciplines. This marks the second consecutive year that Cibola County has represented New Mexico at Nationals.
The event featured 40 states, over 74 participants, 16 teenagers in their group, 54 competitors, and was a three-day event where they received daily recognition.
“It was terrifying at first, but it was really cool. Once we got there, everyone was awesome.” Brandi explained.
In Recurve Archery, 20 states, 56 participants, and 13 teams participated. The event spanned five days, with three days dedicated to Field Archery, FITA Archery, and 3D Archery.
James explained that a memorable moment of the competition was getting congratulated by the Montana coach on the first day. “It was awesome to be recognized by another team.”
Cibola County’s team secured second place in Field Archery, while they finished seventh in FITA and 3D Archery. Overall, their team placed sixth.
Individually, James achieved success, ranking in the top six in all three events.
This win has made James realize “Nothing’s impossible to achieve as long as you practice more.”
Brandi admitted “[It] gave me more confidence in my teammates [and] reminded me to be humble.”
Brandi and Jayden also competed well, placing in the top forty.
“As a team, they will never shoot together again.” Coach Cruz Landschoot explained “So, when they finished… in May, that was it. They will never shoot together as a team again because James and Brandi have aged out of 4-H.”
Now that they have aged out, James may continue to learn different aspects of the sport, while Brandi is considering joining an adult team.
Comments from the Team
What the team believes sets them apart and has helped them to have this winning streak is “dedication to practice.” Other teams may practice twice a month compared to this team practicing three of four times a week despite each member of the team being busy with high school or college and extra curricular activities or work. Coach Cruz Landchoot stated “They all managed to balance everything in order to continue to do everything the way they need to.”
James said that the team dynamics that contributed to their success was “We supported each other the whole time.” While Ralph stated “I think we all brought in a level of uniqueness to the team. And it helps us grow… in a unique way and kind of gain perspective from each other and learn from each other’s struggles and what we’ve learned individually. It… gives us someone to lean on… instead of just being in our own heads all the time.”
Challenges they face during these competitions included ‘what ifs’ and the mental aspect of things.
Ralph explained “It’s mentally challenging to keep pushing through, especially [when] you have equipment failures or all [the] external factors that play in. It makes it hard to keep going, but I think just pushing through and continuing to practice and learn and figure out those little things that all add up was probably one of the biggest challenges for me… Stay out of your head. Keep practic-ing… When you’re in your head and when you’re not, and things are bad [or] when they’re good, you just keep practicing. Keep trying to learn and things come together. Trust your coaches [and] people trying to help you.”
Brandi gave her advice, saying “Practice every day. The more arrows you pull, the easier it is to pull back.”
The achievements of Cibola County's Grants 4-H Recurve Archery team stand as a remarkable testament to the power of hard work, resilience, and teamwork. With standout performances from archers like James, Ralph, Brandi , and Jayden, the team not only made history by winning three consecutive state championships but also secured impressive rankings at the national level. Their dedication to practice, support for one another, and ability to overcome challenges have set them apart in the competitive world of archery. As they move on to new endeavors, their legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of archers in Cibola County to aim high and persevere.