High scores were the norm for the Women’s 10m Air Rifle athletes at the 2012 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC). In her fifth NJOSC, Catherine Green (Coventry, R.I.) stole the show with an outstanding performance, which also became her new personal best.
The Women's 10m Air Rifle podium at the 2012 NJOSC (L to R): Emily Holsopple, Catherine Green and Hannah Black. Photo courtesy USA Shooting
Green, a sophomore at Texas Christian University (TCU), entered the final with a two point lead over National Team and University of Kentucky Rifle Team member Emily Holsopple (Wilcox, Pa.). The lead changed hands often between the two, and after identical 10.7s in the ninth shot, it came down to the final shot for the win. Green excelled with a 10.3 point shot, while Holsopple surprised the crowd with 8.4 points. Green finished with 886.6 and Holsopple shot 885 total points.
“I knew I was too far right to the target after my second nine-point shot,” said Green. “I moved an inch to the left and shot a 10.7 and then a 10.3-I knew I was on track then. In my last shot I knew Emily was ahead of me and I was thinking, ‘As long as I shot a ten, I don’t care where I end up, I’ll be happy.’ I was thrilled when I saw the gold next to my name on the monitor.”
This win represents a lot of firsts for Green-her first final, first medal in a national USA Shooting match and first-ever appointment to the National Junior Team. Both Holsopple and Green were awarded spots on the National Junior Team as a result of their terrific performances.
The bronze medalist was Hannah Black (Richmond, Va.) with 783 match points and 101.5 points in the final. Black, a homeschooled senior, will be joining Green on the TCU Rifle Team in the fall of 2012. Another TCU shooter, Jamie Dowd (Pueblo, Colo.) made her mark on the final finishing fourth overall with 883.5 points.
TCU Rifle Coach Karen Monez was thrilled to see three of the top four finishers in Horned Frogs’ colors. “Coming off the NCAA Championships, the goal for Catherine was to earn a spot on the National Junior Team and I was glad to see her come here and shine,” said Monez. “It is great to have a talented group of shooters that will continue the TCU tradition of excelling at the national level and beyond.”
Kelsey Emme (Piedmont, S.D.) finished in fifth place with 879.7 total points. Emily Cock (Silverton, Ore.) was the youngest shooter in the final at just 13 years old. Cock, a J3 division shooter, shot 779 match points and a solid final of 100.4 points to finish sixth overall. The seventh place finisher was Danielle Foster (Newport News, Va.) with 879.4 total points. Foster topped Shawna Griffin (Woodland Park, Colo.) in a shoot-off to earn a spot in the final. Jaycee Carter (Live Oak, Calif.) finished eighth overall with 877.6 total points.
In the J2 Division, Carter and Griffin topped the ranks with the gold and silver respectively. The bronze medalist was Alison Weisz (Belgrade, Mont.) with 776 match points. In the J3 Division, Cock won by ten points with 779 match points. The silver medalist was Casey Lutz (Meridian, Id.) followed by Sarah Osborn (Hampton, Va.) with the bronze medal and 765 points.
Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position
The women’s rifle action continues throughout the week with competition in women’s smallbore. The Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position final will take place Tuesday, April 17 at 5:15 p.m. MST.
For final scores and rankings, please visit the National Junior Olympic Program page.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
