2015 JORC – Women’s Air Rifle

by Hap Rocketto

2015 National Junior Olympic Championship
Women’s 10m Air Rifle

Eleven New England women traveled west to compete in the 2015 National Junior Olympic Championship Women’s 10m Air Rifle event held at the Olympic Training center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mackenzie Martin, who represents the Taunton Rifle and Pistol Club and has signed a letter of intent to shoot for Murray State, was the top New England shooter with a score of 810.7-41X, placing 29th overall in a field of 184 talented shooters. .

Northfield Vermont native Julia Hatch, who shot this past year for Newt Engle at the University of Akron and was named a Scholastic All-Americans by the Collegiate Rifle Coaches’ Association,posted an 809-39X, in the two 40 shot matches.

Elizabeth Dutton was the top New England J2 shooter with a score of 805.9-47X . Dutton represents the Hudson Fish and Game Club and will also compete in the smallbore event.

Taunton’s Ruby Gomes, another J2, posted a 800.6-38X for 59th place overall while her team mate and fellow J2, Maggie Flanders, placed 102nd with a 791.6-37X. Flanders will stay a few days longer at the OTC to compete in smallbore.

Framingham’s  J2 Abby Monique, who shoots for Southborough Rod and Gun Club in the Maspenock Junior Rifle League,  placed 86th with a 394.8 backed up by an impressive 399.1.

Olivia Fabrizio, a J1 shooting for the Massachusetts Rifle Rebels, turned out a very solid 402.8 on day one. She backed it up with a 391.1 on the second day to finish 87th with a 793.9-28X aggregate.

The Ocean State was represented by Newport Rifle Club’s Rebecca Green, a J1, who was very consist over the two days with a 398.8 on day one followed by a 397.3 on day two for a 79th place finish of 796.1-38X.

Connecticut saw Cos Cob’s J1 Sydney Katz being closely watched by Kentucky rifle coach Harry Mullins. She starts her freshman year at UK in the fall and banged out a very consistent pair of score over two days, a 393.0 and a 394.5, for a 787.5-29X.

Kaitlyn Kutz, another Nutmeg state shooter, hung up a 781.1-23X via a 395.7 and a 385.4. Kutz, like Katz, is coached by Dave Lyman.

A trio, fittingly enough, of J3s, rounded out the New England delegation. Aliya Butt, of Franklin , MA, led the J3s with a 394.3 and a 389.6 for a 783.9-25X. Lauren Chechowski of the Bay State carded a 766.3-16 aggregate based on her two strings of 386.5 and 379.8 while Hanson Rod and Gun Club’s Grace Thornton was right on her heels with a 760.9-17X based on her 374.9 and second day 386.

The National Junior Olympic program serves as an important element in the development system in promoting the shooting sports by which skilled junior athletes obtain national competitive experience for future development.