The lengthy process of selecting the U.S. Olympic Team in the Shotgun events started in Kerrville, Texas, with the Skeet events completed on Saturday. This first stage included a surprise on the women’s side.
Competing against six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, 2017 World Champion Dania Vizzi, 2018 World Champion Caitlin Connor and 2018 Worlds bronze medalist, 18-year-old Austen Smith followed up her 2019 national title with the top total score of 243 to lead the women’s field.
Vizzi actually led after the four days and 250 targets of shooting, 241 to 240 for Smith and Samantha Simonton, but then the top six competed in an ISSF-style finals for additional points for the top three (3-2-1).
Smith out-lasted everyone, finally defeating Rhode in the final shoot-out, 56-54, to win the overall title with a score of 243-241 over Vizzi, followed by Simonton (240) and Rhode (239), who is trying to make her seventh Olympic team. The second half of the Trials will come in February.
There was no surprise in the men’s event, with two-time Olympic champ and reigning World Champion Vincent Hancock leading the overall totals with 248 after winning the finals.
Colt McBee, 22, best known as a country singer, was perfect through the first two days of shooting (125-125) and finished at 246. But he was only a point ahead of Hancock and Philip Jungman (245) and in the finals, Hancock out-shot Jungman, 59-57; McBee was the first to be eliminated.
That leaves Hancock as the leader at 248, ahead of Jungman (247) and McBee (246). Summaries:
USA Shooting Shotgun Fall Selection
Kerrville, Texas (USA) ~ 7-21 September 2019
(Full results here)
Men/Skeet: 1. Vincent Hancock, 248; 2. Philip Jungman, 247; 3. Colt McBee, 246; 4. Dustan Taylor, 244; 5. Frank Thompson, 241; 6. Nic Moschetti, 241; 7. Eli Christman, 241; 8. Hayden Stewart, 240.
Men/Skeet ~ Finals: 1. Hancock, 59; 2. Jungman, 57; 3. Taylor, 47; 4. Christman, 36; 5. Moschetti, 26; 6. McBee, 13.
Women/Skeet: 1. Austen Smith, 243; 2. Dania Vizzi, 241; 3. Sam Simonton, 240; 4. Kim Rhode, 239; 5. Caitlin Connor, 236; 6. Amber English, 236; 7. Haley Dunn, 235; 8. Erin Lokke, 226.
Women/Skeet ~ Finals: 1. A. Smith, 56; 2. Rhode, 43; 3. Connor, 40; 4. English, 33; 5. Vizzi, 25; 6. Simonton, 16.
