Ashley Carroll successfully defending her trap title in dramatic fashion facing off against last year’s runner-up, Kayle Browning-Thomas, in a gold medal final that required a shoot-off. Carroll emerged a 5-4 victor to end up winning a competition she held a piece of the lead in after every step. Carroll posted a round best 48 on Thursday to take a two point lead to the final over Browning-Thomas with no one else within 11 of them. The format, a 15-shot final score being added to your four day total, meant that they were all but guaranteed a spot in the gold medal match where they produced the nerve-wracking shoot-off. Third place came down to Emma Williams and Kimberley Bowers with Williams posting the only perfect 15 of the finals to win bronze. Defending bronze medalist Janessa Beaman wound up seventh and missed out on a spot in the finals by two points.
On the men’s side there was some interesting drama as Myles Walker, tied for third going into the final, emerged as the victor. Walker shot a 48 in the qualifying rounds on Thursday to pull within two of the leaders and then a 12 in the final was enough to get him into a shoot-off for the final after Austin Odom scored just nine. Walker won the shoot-off again Shane Herman (who had been in seventh coming into the day) to advance to the gold medal match against Collin Wietfeldt, who he had begun the day tied with. Walker gave Wietfeldt no margin in the final notching a perfect 15 for the two point win. Herman would also win his final as he defeated Odom in a shoot-off 4-3 after a 14-14 tie for bronze. Michael Flores entered the day tied for the lead but a 45 in the qualifying rounds left him four behind the leaders and a nine in the final left him without a shot at the medals. Sevin Layer also had a share of the lead going into the final day but a 43 knocked him out of the top group and he finished tied for ninth.
Competition resumes Saturday with the men’s and women’s skeet competitions as well as the men’s double trap event. The skeet competitions will be three rounds Saturday, two on Sunday, three on Monday, and two on Tuesday before a final on Tuesday as well. The double trap competition is five rounds both Saturday and Sunday with a final on Sunday. Defending double trap national champion Derek Haldeman will be competing as will last year’s third place finisher, Dale Royer. Oh and Glenn Eller, defending silver medalist and 2016 Olympian. In men’s skeet last year’s bronze medalist Dustan Taylor is competing. All three of the medalists from last year’s women’s skeet, Caitlin Connor, Amber English, and Dania Vizzi, will be back this year.
Previous 2016 USA Shooting Shotgun National Championships Coverage:
Preview
Monday Update
Tuesday Update
Wednesday Update
