COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (June 26, 2018)
The first half of the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) for Shotgun ended today as medals were awarded in the Trap discipline at the International Shooting Park just south of the city on Fort Carson.
Taking top honors in the Men’s competition was a defending NJOSC gold medalist, as well as a 13-year-old who showed talent beyond her years in the Women’s event.On the line for these athletes were NJOSC medals and potential invitations to the National Junior Team. For a handful of athletes, this year’s NJOSC will also serve as a tune-up prior to the Shotgun Selection Match in late July, as well as the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship later in August in Changwon, South Korea. Junior Shotgun athletes earned their slots on the team for the World Championship during the Spring Selection match in March. To qualify for NJOSC, however, Trap athletes had to shoot at least 80/125 targets at a state Junior Olympic qualifying competition.
Carey Garrison (Crossville, Tennessee) won the Women’s Trap gold medal, hitting 44/50 targets in the Final. She qualified for the Final with the third-highest Qualification score of 112/125 targets over two days of competition. Once in the Final, after her eighth, she hit 29 targets in a row on her way to the NJOSC title.
‘It was really hard, and I had a lot of up and down rounds, but I pulled it off at the end and I’m really excited about it!” Garrison said. At just 13-year-old, Garrison competes in the youngest age category (J3, for athletes age 14 or younger) where she won the Junior Women’s Trap Title at last year’s National Championships. She will be the youngest American athlete ever on a USA Shooting Team for the World Championship.
The podium in the Women’s Trap competition was rounded out by Garrison’s World Championship teammates, Madelynn Bernau (Waterford, Wisconsin) who won silver with 42 targets in the Final and Emma Williams (Savannah, Tennessee), who won the bronze with 32 targets in the Final. Williams entered the Final with the highest Qualification score of 116.
“I’m just really excited to go over there and compete with these people,” Garrison said. “And I’m looking forward to the food.”
Winning the J2 Age Category (age 15-17) gold was Heather Broski (Spring Hill, Tennessee). Winning the silver was Faith Pendergrass (Valley Hills, California) and the bronze was Caroline Johnson (Hot Springs, Arkansas).
In the J3 Category, Ryann Phillips (Gail, Texas) won gold and Ivalynn Barnum (Greenwood, Arkansas) won silver.
On the Men’s Trap side, there was a sense of déjà vu to this year’s competition.
“It was pretty much a repeat of last year,” said defending NJOSC gold medalist Dale Royer. “I got a 46 both times and I’m pretty happy with that. Just got to take it to the World Championship!”
Royer (Jackson, Montana) once again won the NJOSC title this year in similar fashion to last year’s, earning identical scores in the Final. He bested last year’s Qualification score, however, by four targets to tie for the highest Qualification score of 120/125. Though he wanted to defend his NJOSC gold, Royer focused on reinforcing good habits leading into Changwon.
“Just keeping everything consistent,” he said. “Keeping my eyes in the right spot, keeping my gun in the right spot, just stayed steady until the target went out and then I went after it!”
Winning the Men’s Trap silver was Jack Brosseau (Durant, Florida) and winning the bronze was Lance Thompson (Carlisle, Pennsylvania).
Winning the J2 Category was Grayson Davey (Anchorage, Alaska). Taking silver was Reed Meyer (Hudson, Wisconsin) and the bronze went to Kevin Whitehead (Oldsmar, Florida).
In the J3 Category, Tommy Jack Thew (Mt. Ida, Arkansas) won the gold, Noah Fleischer (Theresa, Wisconsin) won the silver and Owen Bin (Valley Springs, California) won the bronze.
Competition continues Thursday with the start of the Skeet event, as well as Finals Friday afternoon. More than 225 athletes have come to Colorado Springs to compete at this NJOSC for Shotgun. For more information about NJOSC: http://www.usashooting.org/7-events/njosc/njoscshotgun.
Complete results from the NJOSC Trap competition
Schedule of events at NJOSC
View and download photos from this event