MOSCOW –-(Ammoland.com)- For perhaps the first time ever, all the U.S. women Trap athletes at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship for Shotgun will return home with a medal.
The Open Women’s Team won gold – the first team medal for the U.S. in the event since the 1998 World Championship in Barcelona, Spain. The combined total over 75 targets for team members Ashley Carroll, Caitlin Weinheimer and Corey Cogdell-Unrein was 203, which also tied silver medalists Finland and bronze medalists Italy. The tie for the medal positions was broken by the team’s score on the 25 targets presented today.
Carroll (Solvang, California) finished Qualification in second place with a score of 72, including two perfect rounds of 25 last night and earlier today.
“This competition was a little rough from the get-go,” said Carroll. “But then I started learning to adapt to the lighting conditions; figured out how to work with that. I focused on one target at a time. Got into the Final where unfortunately it got a little tight, but it’s all a learning experience from here.”
Of the 25 targets she saw in the Final, Carroll was the first competitor eliminated with 16 hits. She finished in sixth place overall. In her last World Championship appearance in 2014, Carroll finished in 10th place at just 19 years old. She was part of a gold-medal winning Junior team back in 2011, while also earning another bronze team medal in 2010.
Weinheimer (Port Lavaca, Texas) finished in 30th place during her second World Championship appearance with 66 targets, and Cogdell-Unrein (Eagle River, Alaska) – in her eighth World Championship appearance – finished in 33rd place with 65 targets. 2012 Olympic champion Jessica Rossi of Italy won the overall gold.
On the Junior side, Emma Williams (Savannah, Tennessee) just missed out on a potential Finals berth, finishing one target out of the shootoff to qualify for the Final. She finished with 64/75 targets to finish in 10th place overall. Nonetheless, she and her teammates of Joyce Hunsaker and Emily Hampson’s combined scores earned them a Junior Team bronze medal.
“I think we did better here than we did at the World Cup in Italy,” said Hampson. “I know I’ve been learning a lot about the mental game of international competition, and it’s been a lot of fun competing and travelling with these girls. Never thought I’d be able to come to Russia and it’s been amazing!”
Hunsaker (Corpus Christi, Texas) finished in 12th place with 62 targets and Hampson (Saint Charles, Missouri) finished in 16th place with 61 targets. Maria Lucia Palmitessa of Italy won the Junior gold.
Men’s competition wraps tomorrow with an additional 50 Qualification targets and Finals later in the day. Former Double Trap specialist Derek Haldeman (U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit/Sunbury, Ohio) finished today with 72/75 targets. Jake Wallace (Castaic, California) has 69 targets, which includes his perfect round of 25 today. Roe Reynolds (Quitman, Arkansas) has 64 targets.
On the Junior Men’s side, Ryne Barfield (Poulan, Georgia) and Dale Royer (Jackson, Montana) each have 69. Logan Mountain (Palmdale, California) has 65.
640 athletes from 76 countries are competing at this World Championship at the Foxlodge Shooting Range in Moscow through September 10. For more information, visit the World Championship website: https://www.wch2017russia.org/en/ and follow along with results on the ISSF website: https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/venue.ashx?cshipid=1911.