Aug. 25, 2003
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The 2003 Junior Olympic Shotgun Championships, conducted by USA Shooting at the Fort Carson Shotgun Range in Colorado Springs, Colo. Aug. 11-24, saw one of the largest turnouts in years, proving USA Shooting’s promotion of international shooting events to the younger generations a success.
USA Shooting hosts this annual championship for Juniors, ages 20 and under, with the intent of exposing young shooters across America to each Olympic shotgun discipline – skeet, trap and double trap. For many, the Junior Championships is the first time they will shoot on an international bunker.
This year, with time and space constraints, juniors spent three days training before each competition. USA Shooting’s national shotgun coaches spent two days before each event working with the shooters and providing expert advice on technique and mental conditioning.
"A lot of these kids just don’t get to see bunkers like these where they live," said assistant coach Joe Bernolfo. "It is so rewarding to see them progress throughout the week. And honestly, it’s the highlight of my year. It is fantastic."
The junior skeet shooters were the first to arrive at the Olympic Training Center. The two-day skeet match finished up on Aug. 16, with awards going to the top three in each age category. The big reward, however, is being named to the National Development Team, which is awarded to the top two men and women in each Olympic discipline.
Brazos Lackey (College Station, Texas) was the overall Men’s champion, shooting a great two-day score of 122 out of 125, then adding a perfect score in the finals to keep a six-point lead on the next in line, Hyato Tukakosi. Tukakosi also shot a perfect finals’ score, shooting a 25 out of 25 for a total score of 141. Kent Vail and Nico Tarantini battled for third in a shoot-off. Vail walked off the bronze medalist, as Tarantini only hit one bird.
On the women’s side Haley Dunn (Eddyville, Iowa) took the gold with a 139. Nivea Jones took second with a 135. Jones shot the women’s best final’s score, hitting a perfect 25 targets, while Leigh Ann Crozier hit 23 and rounds out the medalist’s with a total 132.
The Junior Men’s Trap event was the next discipline to step up, bringing with it almost double the participants of last year’s Championship. Carson Alacano (Redmond, Ore.), who is usually a double trap shooter, took the men’s trap championship gold. He hit a 144 and beat Sheldon Benge (Comfort, Texas) in the shoot-off hitting both birds. Benge took second, while Jacob Callahan had to beat two others in a shoot-off for third. Callahan hit five targets in the shoot-out to win the bronze over Vincent Griffing and Matt Scamardo, all of whom are from Texas.
Mimi Wilfong (Milakoff, Texas) had a spectacular week at the range. Wilfong won the women’s trap championship, putting up a total score of 140. Then she turned around and won the women’s double trap event two days later with a 157, hitting four in the shoot-off against Kirby Anderson. Goldie Pippin was a surprise addition to the women’s trap development team, as she scored two in the shoot-off to beat a friend and mentor, Amanda Dorman. Emma Simpson placed third in Double trap with a 145.
The men’s double trap was the last event on the schedule, but it certainly wasn’t the least exciting as Josh Richmond and Corey Siddork, both of Pennsylvania, finished with a total of 139. However it was in the finals that Richmond was able to get the edge, finishing Siddork with 45 of 50 hits. Siddork hit 40 in the finals for a total score of 179, while John Mullins rounded out the top-three with a 174.
For more information, please contact sara.greenlee@usashooting.org or log on to our website at www.usashooting.org for full results.
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