COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –-(Ammoland.com)- Deanna Binnie (Holsopple, Pa.) is the newest USA Shooting National Junior Team member after winning the Three-Position event as competition in women’s rifle concluded as part of the 17-day National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC).
Binnie, who will enroll at Ohio State University this Fall, led from beginning to end through each of her two relay events shooting the two highest scores (586, 578) in qualifying to give her a 10-point cushion heading into the eight-person final. Not shooting the best of finals (96.1), Binnie’s hard work and pin-point accuracy in the relays would still ease her to a 6.8 point win despite shooting the third lowest final. Binnie’s win was impressive given she finished 19th in 2012 and backed-up the 384 she shot to qualify for this year’s National Junior Olympic competition.
Rachel Martin (Peralta, N.M.), who will take her aim to Nebraska, earned National Junior Team distinction too after finishing second following a tight battle with Minden Miles (Weatherford, Texas). Both shot a 99.3 in the final with Martin earning the silver medal given her two point lead over Miles after qualification. The 16-year-old Miles might go away from Colorado Springs without a medal having finished sixth in Air Rifle, but that won’t tell the whole story. She’s the only competitor in the field to have made two event finals and recorded the two highest final scores in the process.
Texas Christian University’s Megan Lee (Holly Springs, N.C.) almost joined Miles as a two-event finalist, but lost to North Carolina State shooter Danielle Foster (Newport News, Va.) in a shoot-off for the eighth finals spot.
For complete NJOSC results thus far, click here: https://bit.ly/ZfxIBR
Qualifying for the National competition begins at the state level as State Junior Olympic Championships included competition in 47 states utilizing 80 different USA Shooting clubs. The 2013 competition consisted of over 2,200 individual participants in rifle and pistol events. State champions and those who qualify via high scores are invited to Colorado Springs to compete in the NJSOC.
The competition takes place over a three-week period with over 500 of the finest junior shooters in attendance. The top-two finishers in each event earn a spot on USA Shooting’s National Junior Team. The 17-day event features shooting matches in Men’s & Women’s Pistol (Air/Sport) and Rifle (Air/Smallbore).
The event wraps up next Friday with the best male youth rifle shooters descending on Colorado beginning Sunday as they get ready to test themselves in three events (air, smallbore prone and three-position).
In the men’s Three-Position Rifle competition, returning bronze medalist Timothy Sherry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) looks to add more medals to his collection in an event that will likely have a distinct collegiate flavor with Nanooks, Mountaineers and Wildcats. There are a plethora of top returning athletes that are looking to upset Sherry on his home turf. West Virginia Mountaineer standouts Garrett Spurgeon (Canton, Mo.) and Patrick Sunderman (Farmington, Minn.) both finished just off the podium in 2012 and are looking to change that this year after helping lead WVU to its 15th NCAA Rifle title in March. Connor Davis (Shelbyville, Ky.) turned some heads with his top qualifying score of 588 and will be a top challenger for the returning hopefuls.
Men’s Air Rifle has a slew of competitors looking to take their place atop the podium including those prominent names mentioned above. Last year’s champion Tyler Rico (Tucson, Ariz.), who competes for Air Force and runner-up Spurgeon both return for the 2013 competition. Sunderman and Sherry both return to make their push for an elusive medal. Davis again posted the highest qualifying score of 593 and showcased his prowess in this event with a fourth-place finish as a Kentucky freshman at the NCAA Rifle Championships. Davis’ Kentucky teammate, Elijah Ellis (Kingsport, Tenn.), will also be a name to reckon with as the week unfolds.
Men’s Rifle (April 15-19)
- April 15-16 – Air
- April 17-19 – Smallbore (.22 caliber) Prone & 3P
More information can also be found on the USA Shooting website by clicking on the ‘National Junior Olympic Program’ link located under the ‘Events’ tab. Follow along also using the Twitter Hashtag #NJOSC or via the USA Shooting’s Facebook page. For scores, please visit USA Shooting’s match results page following each competition.
Women’s 50m Three-Position Rifle NJOSC Finalists
Name (Hometown) Finals Overall
- Deanna Binnie (Holsopple, Pa.) 96.1 1260.1
- Rachel Martin (Peralta, N.M.) 97.3 1253.3
- Minden Miles (Weatherford, Texas) 97.3 1251.3
- Amy Block (Wrightstown, Pa.) 97.6 1246.6
- Hannah Black (Richmond, Va.) 94.1 1242.1
- Heather Kirby (Shelbyville, Ky.) 96.3 1204.3
- Rachel Garner (Celina, Texas) 97.2 1239.2
- Danielle Foster (Newport News, Va.) 92.5 1238.5
About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.
Thank you for your coverage of Deanna Binnie…Ohio State is lucky to have her enrolling this Fall…what a talent!
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