Beaman Wins Junior Gold at ISSF World Clay Target Championship
OutdoorHub 09.08.11
Janessa Beaman (Elbert, Colo.) is grinning ear to ear today as she delivered the performance of a lifetime at the 2011 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Clay Target Championships. Beaman, a 20-year-old Mitchell High School graduate, began the Junior Women’s Trap match with a solid 24 targets in the first round. Dropping only four more targets throughout the last two rounds, she finished with 70 out 75 targets for the uncontested gold medal and title of Junior World Champion.
Beaman’s favorite saying is that “every day can’t be your best day, but you can give it your best every day.” Not only did her noteworthy performance reflect the hard work and effort that she’s put in to accomplish this feat, but she managed to put a two target buffer between herself and the rest of the competition-an impressive feat in the world of competitive shooting. “Janessa equaled her personal best and separated herself from the rest of the field,” said National Shotgun Coach Bret Erickson. Beaman commented on her performance as she said, “It was an honor to win my first World Championship title against the best junior shooters in the world in my last year as a junior. I am grateful to those that have supported and encouraged me on my Olympic path.”
Teammate Miranda Wilder (Diana, Texas) performed to the tune of 67 targets to tie with Lucie Rylichova of the Czech Republic. Making short work of her competition, she claimed the fifth place spot in a one target shoot-off. Rounding out the trio was Ashley Carroll (Solvang, Calif.) with 64 targets for tenth place. “With all three junior shooters in the top ten, I’m pleased to see our young talent progressing to a world-class level,” commented Erickson. Adding to the hardware count, the Junior Women’s Trap trio earned gold medal honors as a team.
In Women’s Trap, China’s Liu Yingzi advanced after a seven-way shoot-off for only five spots in the final. Yingzi proved that the final is anyone’s game as she nailed 23 targets to easily secure the gold medal. Despite the one target deficit she faced entering the final, Yingzi walked away three targets ahead of the competition to win with 95 total targets (72+23). The silver medalist was Zuzana Stefecekova of Slovakia with 92 total targets (72+20). Elena Tkach of Russia won the bronze medal with 73 match targets and 17 targets in the final for 90 total targets. The USA’s Corey Cogdell (Eagle River, Alaska) was also one of the five shooters who made their way into the final via the shoot-off. Cogdell shot 72 match targets and 16 targets in the final to finish with 88 total targets and sixth place. Fellow Americans Caitlin Weinheimer (Kerrville, Texas) finished with 66 targets and Rachael Heiden (Clinton, Mich.) shot 65 targets. For complete scores and rankings, please visit the ISSF Website.
