The United States is the top Skeet power in the world today, but the familiar names were not on the top step of the podium at the USA Shooting National Shotgun Championships that concluded Wednesday in Colorado Springs.
Nic Moschetti was hardly unknown as the World Junior Championships silver medalist in 2018. But to defeat two-time Olympic gold medalist Vince Hancock in the men’s Skeet final?
It happened.
Hancock led the qualifying at 246/250, with Moschetti second at 244 and Zach McBee third at 241. In the finals, however, Moschetti hit 56/60 targets to 54-60 for Hancock and won his first national title at the senior level.
“Winning Nationals has been something that I have dreamt of ever since I began competing in international skeet many years ago,” Moschetti said. “I was so fortunate to compete against many of my good friends this week, making this victory even more special to me. I would like to congratulate all the other medalists on their excellent shooting. I look forward to carrying this momentum into the first part of Olympic Team Trials later this year.”
In the women’s division, the qualifying leader was Sam Simonton (239), ahead of Haley Dunn and Katie Jacob (238). In the final, it was fifth-placer Austen Smith who moved up, hitting 51 targets to 50 for Dunn to win her first nationals crown.
Third at last year’s Nationals and the World Junior bronze medalist, the 17-year-old Smith triumphed over a field which included World Championships medalists Amber English and Dania Vizzi.
“It’s an honor to be the national champion and to be able to shoot with the amazing competitors on our team,” Smith stated. “I consider our women’s skeet group to be the best in the world and to be named alongside previous champions like them is a dream come true.”
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USA Shooting’s Pistol and Rifle Nationals will start Friday at Ft. Benning, Georgia and continue through the 29th. You can follow the results here.
USA Shooting Shotgun National Championships
Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) ~ 16-19 June 2019
(Full results here)
Men/Skeet: 1. Nic Moschetti, 56 (244 in qualifying); 2. Vincent Hancock 54 (246); 3. Eli Christman, 43 (239); 4. Robert Johnson, 35 (239); 5. Zach McBee, 24 (241); 6. Joseph Witty, 17 (238).
Women/Skeet: 1. Austen Smith, 51 (235); 2. Haley Dunn, 50 (238); 3. Katie Jacob, 43 (228); 4. Jacenta Jacob, 33 (234); 5. Amber English, 24 (237); 6. Sam Simonton, 14 (239).
