CELEBRATION, Fla. — For the first time since he won the Archery gold medal in 2001 at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge, Randy Hendrix of Clemmons, N.C., wasn't standing on the medals platform Saturday afternoon after the last arrow was fired.

In his place, however, was Keith Brown of Greensboro, N.C., Hendrix's good friend and longtime shooting partner. Brown won the gold medal in his fourth appearance at the Games, which are taking place at Disney's Wide World of SportsŪ Complex.

	The fourth time was a charm for winner Keith Brown: "I'd be lying if I said I could have done this without Randy Hendrix's help."

The Archery competition, dubbed the Eliminator, is a high-speed, head-to-head, single-elimination tournament that features moving and stationary targets, most of which shatter on impact.

Hendrix finished fourth in the event after losing the bronze-medal round to newcomer Mark Wagner of Des Moines, Iowa, 39-30.

Soon after, Brown defeated Jerry Decker of Dalton, Pa., in the final round, 39-27. Neither Brown nor Decker, who was making his third appearance at the Games, had previously advanced beyond the quarterfinals in the event.

The clean sweep of the top three spots by Brown, Decker and Wagner marked the first time since 2001 that no previous medal winner placed in the top three. Hendrix, who won gold in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and bronze in 2003, lost to Decker, 33-15, in the semifinals to fall into the bronze-medal competition.

Hendrix, however, was the only former medalist to make Saturday's medal rounds. Three previous well-known medalists fell in the quarterfinals. Randy Ulmer of Cave Creek, Ariz., owner of two silvers and a bronze, lost to Brown, 36-27; Darren Collins of Galena, Kan., winner of gold in 2003 and bronze in 2002, lost to Hendrix, 27-21; and Rod White of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, winner of the bronze in 2001, lost to Wagner, 33-30.

	Jerry Decker powered to a Silver, the second of three fresh faces to medal in the Archery competition.

Between them, Hendrix, Ulmer, Collins and White won 10 of the first 15 medals awarded in previous Great Outdoor Games. That fact wasn't lost on Brown, who has practiced regularly with Hendrix for years.

"This is unbelievable for me," Brown said. "They're all great shooters, but I'd be lying if I said I could have done this without Randy Hendrix's help. He's a tough competitor, and he's helped me a lot all these years."

Decker also credited a longtime shooting partner and fellow Games competitor for his success: his wife, Cindy. She lost to Collins in the opening round, 27-24, after holding an 18-12 advantage going into the fourth and final shooting station.

"Cindy and I practiced against each other a lot the past few months," Decker said. "We practiced against each other in 2003 and 2004, but our kids are a little older now, and it's easier to leave them with someone, so we practiced even more."

Wagner, 20, still seemed shocked that he defeated White and Hendrix on his way to the bronze medal. "I never imagined I would make it this far my first time," he said. "I've seen Rod and Randy on TV for years. It was just a great honor to shoot against them."

Final standings

1. Keith Brown, Greensboro, N.C.
2. Jerry Decker, Dalton, Pa.
3. Mark Wagner, Des Moines, Iowa
4. Randy Hendrix, Clemmons, N.C.
5. Rod White, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
5. Tim Gillingham, Orem, Utah
7. Randy Ulmer, Cave Creek, Ariz.
8. Darren Collins, Galena, Kan.
9. Cindy Decker, Dalton, Pa.
9. Bradley Gohlke, Houston, Texas
9. Karen Demaris, La Pine, Ore.
12. Jackie Caudle, Gadsden, Ala.
12. Josh Deering, Maple City, Mich.
14. Mike Slinkard, John Day, Ore.
15. Wayne Endicott, Springfield, Ore.
16. Ginger Hopwood, Marietta, Ga.

The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 13-17, 2005. Click here for the broadcast schedule.