Jaiden Grinnell broke both national records set by four-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode on her way to winning the 2012 National Championships in Women’s Skeet. Photo courtesy USA Shooting
USA Shooting — Naysayers will label the recent women’s skeet dominance of Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) as bad for the sport with just one Olympic spot available, but athletes like Jaiden Grinnell (Port Angeles, Wash.) view it as a challenge worth accepting. She did just that in the absence of the sport’s top star with a shoot for the ages to earn the 2012 National title in Women’s Skeet by nine points. Grinnell posted a score a 269/275 score overall and with a 245 in qualifying surpassed the two national records Rhode set in 2009. Rhode had a combined (qualifying + final) score of 267 and a qualifying score of 242.
“It just feels great to be back,” Grinnell stated, after a prolonged absence following her departure from the Colorado Springs resident program. “Going home has been great. The Training Center was an excellent opportunity for growth, but being closer to family was a priority for me. I lost my love for shooting and I’m at peace now and it’s been really good to get back to my community and results like this prove to me that I made the right move.”
Finishing second was Caitlin Connor (Winnfield, La.) with an overall score of 260. Former National Team member Amber English (Colorado Springs, Colo.), despite little practice time due to the demands of trying to obtain a college degree, finished in third position with a score of 259. Junior athletes Brandy Drozd (Bryan, Texas), Gayla Gregory (College Station, Texas) and Morgan Craft (Muncie Valley, Pa.) rounded out the top-six finishers. Those three would finish 1 thru 3 in the junior division as well followed by Riley Moody (Tulsa, Okla.), Dania Vizzi (Odessa, Fla.), and Kendall Reed (Azle, Texas).
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
