USAS National Championships for Shotgun: The Podium Report

USAS National Championships for Shotgun: The Podium Report

Staff Sergeant Ryan Hadden, Matt Gossett and Brian Burrows celebrate their podium finishes in Men's Trap.
Pictured above are the Men's Trap medalists (L to R): Staff Sergeant Ryan Hadden, Matt Gossett and Brian Burrows celebrate their podium finishes in Men's Trap.
USA Shooting
USA Shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –-(Ammoland.com)- At the first final of the USA Shooting National Championships for Shotgun, Matt Gossett (Springville, Ala.), won the title of Men’s Trap National Champion.

Gossett shot 241 out of 250 targets over three days of competition. Despite the gusting winds, he stayed strong in the final to shoot 23 out of 25 targets for a one target victory.

Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete Brian Burrows (Fallbrook, Calif.) won the silver medal with 242 out of 250 targets and 21 targets in the final for 263 total targets. Staff Sergeant Ryan Hadden of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit shot 238 out of 250 match targets and 23 targets in the final for the bronze medal. Morgan Harbison (Waller, Texas) and Wesley Wilcox both finished with 260 targets after the finals. After a two target shoot-off, Harbison emerged the fourth place finisher. Wilcox finished fifth overall with 260+1 targets (239+21). Resident Athlete Collin Wietfeldt (Hemlock, Mich.) finished in sixth place with 237 match targets and 16 targets in the final for 253 total targets.

In Women’s Trap, Kayle Browning (Wooster, Ark.) shot 231 out of 250 match targets and scored the highest final of 23 targets for the gold medal and national title. Miranda Wilder (Diana, Texas) earned a spot in the final with 234 out of 250 match targets. Wilder delivered a 19 target final for the silver medal. Resident Athlete Rachael Heiden (Clinton, Mich.) shot 237 out of 250 targets and 15 targets in the final for a total of 252 targets. Heiden and Sergeant First Class Terri DeWitt (Smiths Station, Ala.) tied at 252 targets and Heiden secured the bronze after one target in the shoot-off. Resident Athlete Corey Cogdell (Eagle River, Alaska) finished with 228 targets and 21 targets in the final for 249 total targets and fifth place. Kelsey Zauhar (Lakeville, Minn.) shot 226 match targets and 16 targets in the final for 242 total targets to finish sixth.

In the Men’s Double Trap final of the USA Shooting (USAS) National Championships for Shotgun, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) gold and black filled the podium. Sergeant Jeffrey Holguin (Yorba Linda, Calif.) claimed the national title and gold medal with 289 match targets and 48 targets in the final for a total of 337 out of 350 targets. His USAMU and USAS National Shotgun teammate Staff Sergeant Joshua Richmond (Hillsgrove, Pa.) won the silver medal with 287 match targets. Richmond shot 48 targets in the final for 335 total targets. Sergeant Glenn Eller (Katy, Texas) shot 285 match targets and 46 targets in the final for a total of 331 targets.

This talented trio will be representing the USA at the next ISSF World Cup in Slovenia in July and then at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Clay Target Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. National Shotgun Coach Bret Erickson said, “The U.S. Army Men’s Double Trap shooters are still on top of their game and dominating the sport. We can’t ask for a better team as we look to win our second quota in Slovenia or Serbia.” The fourth place finisher was 17-year-old Ian Rupert (Muncy, Pa.) with 277 targets and 46 targets in the final for a total of 323 targets. Private First Class Derek Haldeman (Sunbury, Ohio) shot 273 match targets and 47 targets in the final for 320 total targets to finish in fifth place. Haldeman just graduated from the U.S. Army’s basic training two weeks ago and was assigned to the USAMU. Billy Crawford (Johnstown, Ohio) finished in sixth place with 272 match targets and 45 targets in the final for a total of 317 targets.

The final day of the USA Shooting National Championships for Shotgun brought high scores and dramatic finals. In the Men’s Skeet final, Sergeant Vincent Hancock of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (Eatonton, Ga.) won his third straight National title. With a match score of 247 of 250 match targets, Hancock only dropped one target for a final of 24 out of 25 targets. He claimed the gold medal with a total of 271 targets. The silver medalist was Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete Frank Thompson (Alliance, Neb.). Thompson shot 240 qualification targets and was the only competitor to shoot a straight 25 target final. Thompson shot his way up to 265 targets after the final to tie fellow Resident Athlete Sean McLelland (Harlingen, Texas). Thompson beat McLelland after 14 targets in the shoot-off. McLelland finished with 242 match targets and 23 in the final for a total of 265 + 13 targets and a spot on the National Shotgun team. Jon Michael McGrath (Tulsa, Okla.) finished in fourth place with 240 out of 250 targets and 22 targets in the final for a total of 262 targets. BJ Blanchard (Vidor, Texas) finished in fifth place with 237 match targets and 24 targets in the final. TJ Bayer (College Station, Texas) shot 260 total targets ( 237+23) for sixth place.

In Women’s Skeet, Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) won her second National Championship title for Women’s Skeet. Rhode, who is already nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team for Women’s Skeet, proved that she is on top of her game with 241 match targets and 24 targets in the final for a total of 265 targets and the gold medal. Brandy Drozd (Bryan, Texas) may only be 17 years old, but she proved that she’s ready for the National Team with an outstanding performance at this year’s Nationals. Drozd finished with 241 match targets and 22 targets in the final for the silver medal. The bronze medalist was Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete Caitlin Connor (Winnfield, La.). Connor shot 235 match targets and 25 targets in the final for 260 total targets. Teammate Jaiden Grinnell (Port Angeles, Wash.) shot 233 match targets and 25 targets in the final to finish in fourth place. Amber English (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished in fifth place with 226 match targets and 23 targets in the final for 249 total targets. Haley Dunn (Eddyville, Ia.) shot 225 match targets and 23 targets in the final to finish in sixth place.

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Winchester Ammunition is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team: Winchester® Ammunition has been the exclusive ammunition sponsor and supplier of the USAShooting Shotgun Team since 1999. Members of the 2008 shotgun team brought home four medals from Beijing using Winchester AA International Target loads. Winchester is an industry leader in advancing and supporting conservation, hunter education and our country’s proud shooting sports heritage. For more information about Winchester and its complete line of products, visit www.winchester.com.

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