COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (July 29, 2019)
Rachel Tozier (left) and Ashley Carroll Raise The Flag after finishing first and second at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Photo courtesy of Matt Zanis.
A carol is particularly great around the holidays, but this Carroll has best been heard and seen this July. And so it has been for Ashley Carroll having earned the title of World Champion on July 3 and then defending that honor Monday by adding Pan American Games gold to this summer’s chart-topping performances.
Day three of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, saw a 1-2 finish in Women’s Trap with Carroll being joined on the podium by Rachel Tozier. Earlier in the day, Nick Mowrer joined forces with Miglena Todorova to earn the silver medal in the Mixed Team Air Pistol event. After no medal on Day 1, USA Shooting Team athletes have now earned six medals in two days, including two gold.
The top Women’s Trap athlete in the world, Carroll (Solvang, California) shot 120/125 in Qualification followed closely by Tozier (Pattonsburg, Missouri) with a 118. There was an eight-target degree of separation between Tozier, a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) soldier athlete, and the next nearest competitor, Ana Waleska Soto of Argentina. The Quota pressure was eliminated for these two athletes, given that the Quotas for this event had already been earned previously. Carroll earned one earlier this year at a World Cup stop, while Kayle Browning earned one at the 2018 Championship of the Americas. The two training partners set their sights on mining some medals.
After 25 targets, both Carroll and Tozier had missed four targets, while the other four finalists had eache missed at least nine targets. Carroll would open up a three-target advantage over her next 10 shots, missing just one compared to Tozier’s four misses. They’d each miss five targets each over their final 15 shots, and that would mean Carroll would once again stand atop the podium. Tozier claims her first international medal after finishing ninth at the World Championships.
The two quota spots went to Soto, who finished fourth, and bronze medalist Alejandra Ramirez of Mexico.
Carroll can close out her already spectacular month with a true flourish as she’ll team with boyfriend and Mixed Team partner Derek Haldeman (USAMU/Sunbury, Ohio) for that match.
"I couldn’t be more excited to be coming home with a Pan Am medal, especially since this is my first time competing in a Pan American Games," Carroll said. "A huge congratulations goes out to my teammate Rachel Tozier who shot an amazing score and great final. I am so thrilled that we got to share the podium together! This match has definitely been an eye opener that has made me realize how important it is to go back to shooting simple sometimes to be able to refocus on what is going to help you during a match. The atmosphere has been amazing here and it was so much fun being able to compete in this match. I can’t wait to shoot again in mixed team and see how Team USA does!"
Still glowing after his silver medal and quota-earning moment Sunday, Mowrer (Butte, Montana) was back out on the line early this morning, this time teaming up with Todorova (Miranda, California). The duo qualified second with a combined score of 760, five points shy of the Ecuadorian team of Andrea Perez and Yautung Cueva. Perez was the silver medalist in the Women’s Air Pistol event Saturday.
In the Final, it was the Cuban team of Laina Perez and Jorge Potrille Grau that would prove to be the dominant force, earning the gold medal by 3.7 points over Mowrer and Todorova. For each of them, it would prove to be their second gold medal as they each won the individual Air Pistol competition as well.
All eyes will be on Haldeman and Brian Burrows (Fallbrook, California) Tuesday in Men’s Trap. After 50 targets shot Monday, both dropped two and sit fourth and fifth in the standings. The U.S. is looking to secure a spot in Men’s Olympic Trap competition for the first time since 2008.
Also being contested will be Men’s Three-Position Rifle with two-time Olympian Michael McPhail (USAMU/Darlington, Wisconsin) making his first Pan American Games since a fourth-place finish in Prone back in 2007. Joining him will be his USAMU teammate and reigning National Champion Tim Sherry (Highlands Ranch, Colorado).
Pan Am Results: https://wrsd.lima2019.pe/PAG2019/en/res ... hedule.htm
World Shooting Para Sport World Cup Update:
2016 Paralympic bronze medalist McKenna Dahl (Arlington, Washington) had a strong performance Monday at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Croatia, qualifying first in the 50-meter Prone Rifle event (R9 SH2) with a 625.1, which was 1.9 points ahead of the next nearest competitor. In the Final, she'd place fifth after an ill-placed 9.4 on her second-to-last shot. Still, a very promising performance as we near 1-year out from the 2020 Paralympic Games. Stetson Bardfield (Colorado Springs, Colorado), who just got into shooting smallbore, finished 30th with a 602.9.
In other action, Yanxiao Gong (South Pasadena, California) was 15th after shooting 552 in Men's Air Pistol (P1 SH1) where 560 and above made the Final. Taylor Farmer (Castalia, Ohio) was 22nd in the other Prone Rifle event (R6 SH1). Competition in Osijek concludes Tuesday with Mixed Air Rifle & Air Pistol matches.
RESULTS: https://www.paralympic.org/shooting/live-results