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Through the generosity of the shooting sports community, the USA Shooting Team will be represented for the first time at the International Junior Shotgun Cup, August 25-26, in Orimattila, Finland. Six of the top junior international trap shooters in America begin competition Saturday thanks to privately-donated funds from over 40 donors and organizations following requests from the USA Shooting Team Foundation and the USA Shooting Junior Fundraising Committee.
Providing top international experience, this is first time that USA Shooting has sent a team to participate in this international event. The three female and three male junior shooters includes athletes from California, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas. Participating as part of Team USA are 2012 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championship medalists including Ashley Carroll (Solvang, Calif.), Rebekah Lowen (Hillsboro, Mo.) and Austin Odom (Benton, Ark.). Also joining the team are Dakotah Richardson (Godley, Texas) National Junior Championships bronze medalist and 2012 Junior Olympic team members Kimberly Bowers (Lafayette, Calif.) and Michael Flores (Sacramento, Calif.).
For a complete listing of U.S. Team members and biographical information, please see below.
Hosted by the Finnish Shooting Sport Federation and the Shooting Club of Orimattila, U.S. Team athletes will compete against 100 other competitors. Competition for the women will include 75 match targets and a final round on Saturday. The men’s competition will take place over both days with a total of 125 targets and a final. Other countries participating include Finland, Germany, India, Cyprus, Russia, Italy, France, Great Britain, Belgium and Turkey.
“It is not an easy task to compete and make the USA Shooting Team,” said USA Shooting Team Foundation member and Team Leader Michael Flores. “Each of these individuals is to be commended for working hard and striving for excellence. They make sacrifices in their quest to represent the USA. This opportunity will provide our juniors with invaluable experiences to succeed in their future.”
U.S. Team Members
Kimberley Bowers (Lafayette, Calif.) -2012 Junior Olympic Team member; finalist and sixth-place finisher at the 2001 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships; gold medalist at the 2011 California Junior Olympic Trap Championships.
Ashley Carroll (Solvang, Calif.) – 2012 National Junior Team Member; 2012 Junior Olympic Shooting Championships bronze medalist; 2012 USA Shooting Championships silver medalist (junior division); Team gold medalist at the 2011 Junior World Championships; finalist and sixth-place finisher at the 2011 USA Shooting National Championships and fourth-place finisher t the 2011 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships.
Ashley Carroll (Hillsboro, Mo.) – 2012 Junior Olympic Shooting Championships J2 bronze medalist; 2011 SCTP National Championship bronze medalist; gold medalist at the 2011 Missouri Junior Olympic State Championships.
Michael Flores (Sacramento, Calif.) – 2012 Junior Olympic Team member; 2007 USA Shooting National J3 Champion; 2008 Junior Olympic J3 gold medalist; current California International Trap champion; 2009 and 2011 Canadian National Junior Champion; 2010 gold medalist at California State Junior Olympic Trap Championships.
Austin Odom (Benton, Ark.) – 2012 Junior Olympic Shooting Championships J2 silver medalist; 2011 USA Shooting National Junior Olympic bronze medalist; 2009 USA Shooting National J3 gold medalist; 2009 USA Shooting National Junior Olympic J3 gold medalist; 2012 Arkansas Junior Olympic Trap champion.
Dakotah Richardson (Godley, Texas) – 2012 National Junior Team member; 2012 Junior Olympic Team member; 2012 American Collegiate Bunker Trap Championship silver medalist; 2010 Texas State Junior Olympic Trap Championship gold medalist; Two-time Texas State Junior Olympic Trap Championship silver medalist (2009, 2011).
Winchester Ammunition is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team: Winchester® Ammunition has been the exclusive ammunition sponsor and supplier of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team since 1999. Members of the 2008 shotgun team brought home four medals from Beijing using Winchester AA International Target loads. Winchester is an industry leader in advancing and supporting conservation, hunter education and our country’s proud shooting sports heritage. For more information about Winchester and its complete line of products, visit www.winchester.com.
About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.