PEAP Instructors Prepare Aspiring Olympians

This spring, the Texas A&M Archery Team won its 23^rd National Championship including three of its members competing for a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Their talents and achievements came thanks in part to the facilities and coaching staff in our Physical Education Activity (PEAP) program.

Riley Marx ’24

“So far as archery goes, I don’t think there’s a better school you can go to besides A&M,” said Archery Team president and sport management major Riley Marx ’24. She was a Top 8 finalist for the Olympics and won Collegiate All-American and Archer of the Year honors — but her experience with PEAP’s Archery program started long before she became an Aggie student. “I’ve been coming here since the seventh grade for events, and really loved that the coaches and team are very encouraging,” said Marx.

Three of PEAP’s instructors, Bill Coady, Lorinda Cohen Gomez and Frank Thomas coach the Texas A&M Archery team, each specializing in different aspects of the sport and helping athletes tackle the mental aspects of performing at the collegiate, national and Olympic levels. Trenton Cowles ’24, who qualified for Team USA and serves as an alternate for the Summer Games, credits his coaches for preparing him to compete at the highest level. He adds they, “completely allowed me to excel with Thomas’ international experience, Gomez’s bio-mechanical approach to technique and Coady’s equipment expertise create a well-rounded approach to mindset and what it takes to be the best.”

Trenton Cowles ’24

Cowles and Marx also praised the ability to balance their schoolwork and athletics thanks to PEAP’s flexible training times, around-the-clock facilities and personalized training and conditioning.

PEAP and the Texas A&M Archery Team host the Aggie Invitational and USA Archery’s Indoor Nationals each year. Both tournaments welcome archers of all ages, including collegiate competition. In addition to winning 23 national titles, the program has helped develop multiple Olympians – an achievement Coach Gomez is proud to mention. “Archery is what brought me down to A&M, and 24 years later I have yet to look back,” she said. “It’s amazing to give back to both the sport and A&M while helping Aggie archers reach their dreams.”

To learn more about archery and the dozens of other activity courses PEAP offers, click here.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.