Rachel Hopkins of Pattonsburg has been selected to the 2009 Women’s All-American Trapshooting Team, according to Bruce Reed, president of the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), which determines the teams.
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This is the second straight time the 16-year-old has been named an All-American.
The ATA hosts both the Grand American (the 11-day world tournament which in August drew almost 3,500 contestants to the World Shooting & Recreational Complex, near Sparta, Ill.) and a series of "satellite" Grands (smaller, regional tournaments providing Grand American-style trophies and competition). The association also sponsors five zone shoots.
At the Grand American, Hopkins won six trophies, including the women’s title in the Champion of Champions event after 100×100 and 75 straight in a tie-breaker. The Champion of Champions race is the only one not open to all ATA members. Only the current singles champions from each state and Canadian province may enter.
During the Southwestern Zone tournament, Hopkins captured the women’s crowns in the main singles with 199×200 and doubles (where two targets are launched at the same time) with 96×100. (The states of Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Missouri comprise the Southwestern Zone.)
Hopkins’ trophies at her Missouri state shoot included the top ladies’ honors in the main singles (with 198×200), all-around and high-over-all. The all-around includes the combined totals of the main singles, doubles and handicap events, usually 400 targets, while the high-over-all is the sum of all targets shot.
She earned additional points toward All-American team selection for her trophies and scores while competing at the Kansas and Minnesota state shoots plus the Missouri Fall Handicaps, additional large regional tournaments of the ATA season.
To be considered for the All-American team, Hopkins had to meet a minimum target requirement, and she had to have competed in at least three states. Selection was made based on points the shooter accumulated while winning trophies and posting high scores at tournaments throughout the country.
Established in 1923, the ATA promotes and governs the sport of trapshooting, primarily in the United States and Canada. In the 2008 target year, 33,255 members participated in the sport, competing in one or more of the 7,816 sanctioned tournaments (shoots registered by the ATA organization) on the local, regional, state, zone and world championship levels.
Trapshooters fire at clay targets (approximately 4-1/4 inches in diameter and 1-1/8 inch in height) launched at varying angles. In singles events, all entrants stand at the 16-yard line and fire at one target at a time; in handicap, participants are assigned a yardage from 19 to 27 yards (according to averages and known ability) and fire at one target at a time; in doubles, two targets are released at the same time and each contestant, standing at the 16-yard line, is allowed one shot for each.
Trapshooting celebrities have included Annie Oakley, John Philip Sousa and Roy Rogers. If you are interested in trying trapshooting, call the ATA at 937-898-4638 or visit the association’s website at www.shootata.com to find a local club near you.